To ensure you have the best possible experience at the DDD17 conference, please take a few moments to carefully review the following important logistical details and practical information regarding:
- Catering
- Changes to the conference programme
- Instructions for presenting (in person and online) and convening a panel
- Joining the conference online
- Joining the excursions and/or conference dinner
- Joining workshops and the experiential keynote by prof. Enny Das
- Live media presence and sharing via social media platforms
- Need help?
- Registration
- Security at conference venues
- WiFi at venues
Catering
Lunch is not provided during the conference. Coffee, tea, and water are available in each building throughout the day. For your convenience, a comprehensive list of lunch and good coffee/drinks options close to the conference venues is available on this website. We encourage you to explore the local area and enjoy the variety of cafés and restaurants within walking distance of the conference venue.
Changes to the conference programme
Minor changes to the conference programme may still occur. Any updates will be communicated via our website and social media channels. QR codes linking to the latest version of the programme will be available at the conference venues. If changes directly impact your panel or presentation, we will notify you by email.
Instructions for presenting and convening a panel
Each panel session lasts 90 minutes. This applies to paper panels, roundtables, and workshops.
Paper panels
Each paper panel includes three to five 15-minute presentations delivered back-to-back, followed by a general Q&A at the end. Each speaker has a maximum of 15 minutes to present. Time limits of 15 minutes are strict. Session chairs will enforce timing rigorously, as overrunning will reduce the shared Q&A time for all presenters and audience.
When you are presenting in person, please be in your session room at least 10 minutes before the start to transfer your file to the conference laptop. Technical staff will assist with file transfers and hybrid connection setup. If you use slides, these must be in PDF or PowerPoint (PPT) format. Other formats (e.g., Google Slides, Keynote, Prezi) are not supported. All presentations will run from the conference-provided computer. Personal laptops are not permitted. Bring your slides on a USB-C flash drive. Slides stored in cloud accounts (e.g., Google Drive, email inboxes, Dropbox) will not be accepted. No downloads will be made on-site.
More details on how to present in person can be found here:
When you are presenting online, a week before the conference, you will receive an invitation with a link to your panel via the email with which you’ve registered do the conference. Be in your online session at least 10 minutes before the start of the session to test your microphone, camera and screen sharing. At the start of your presentation, you can share your screen if wanted. Please make sure to turn your microphone and camera on.
More details on how to present online can be found here:
Roundtables
Roundtables will have no more than five people discussing a particular theme or issue in front of (and subsequently with) an audience. While a roundtable may include short (approx. 5 min) contributions/presentations, the main idea is to create a lively debate, and not to focus on any one or multiple presenter(s). To be able to create such debate, roundtables will not be offered in a hybrid format.
More details on how to convene a roundtable can be found here:
Workshops
Workshops of 90 minutes are characterised by experimentation, collaboration, interaction and/or improvisation. The aim of workshops is to organise collective activities that are open-ended and cultivate possibilities for surprise, novelty, and learning. Workshops will be designed as interactive, reflexive sessions that prioritise exploration, rather than the discussion of already established research results. To make true collaboration possible and create safe space, the workshops will not be offered in a hybrid format. Also, to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for the workshop, the room has a maximum capacity of 16 people, including all convenors. A volunteer will be present to count attendees as they enter and close the door once the maximum number of participants is reached (on a first come, first served-basis).
More details on how to convene a workshop can be found here:
Joining the conference online
The DDD17 conference will almost entirely be offered in a hybrid format. This means that most sessions – with the exception of workshops, roundtable sessions, and the experiential keynote by prof. Enny Das– will also be accessible online. We use Microsoft Teams as platform for our hybrid event. The Teams links for each session will be shared via our website and are included in our programme book.
Joining the excursions and/or conference dinner
We are organizing excursions on Thursday afternoon in Utrecht’s city center, and on Saturday to museums in Amsterdam focusing on death and memorial culture. Please note that participation in all excursions is only possible with a pre-purchased ticket.
If you are joining one of the three excursions in Utrecht on Thursday, we will gather at 16:00 in front of the Instituto Cervantes. For the Saturday excursion to Amsterdam, we will meet at the same location at 13:00.
Attendance at the conference dinner is only possible with a pre-purchased ticket. The dinner will begin promptly at 19:30, so we kindly ask all guests to be on time. The venue – the aula of the University Hall – will open at 19:00, giving you ample time to enter and find your seat. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to accommodate late arrivals, so please make sure to arrive promptly.
Joining workshops and the plenary experiential keynote by Prof. Enny Das
To ensure a safe and comfortable environment for the workshop, rooms where workshops are held have a maximum capacity of 16 people, including workshop convenors. A volunteer will be present to count attendees as they enter and close the door once the maximum number of participants is reached (on a first come, first served basis). So, if you want to join a workshop, make sure you come in time.
The plenary experiential keynote by Prof. Enny Das will take place at the Neude Library, located in the beautifully repurposed former main post office in the heart of Utrecht. This unique venue blends historic architecture with a vibrant cultural atmosphere. The main theatre hall, where the keynote will be held, has a maximum capacity of 180 people. If the room reaches capacity, an overflow space will be available where attendees can watch the keynote via livestream. So, if you want to fully experience the keynote in person, we strongly recommend arriving early – seating is first come, first served. Doors open 30 minutes before the session begins.
Live media presence and sharing
During the conference, photographer Hein Athmer will be capturing moments throughout the event. In addition, members of the Death Studies Podcast will be making occasional audio recordings, and a writer will be documenting highlights of the conference in short texts and audio recordings. These updates will be shared continuously on our social media channels – follow us on Instagram (ddd17_2025) and BlueSky (ddd17-2025) to stay connected and see what’s happening in real time.
If you prefer not to appear in photos, please inform one of our volunteers, who will be happy to assist.
Need help?
When urgent help is needed, please call the Dutch emergency telephone number:
112
During the conference, our volunteers will be available to help with any questions you may have. They are there to support you and can be easily identified by their yellow Utrecht University t-shirts. You can also continue to reach us by email, although responses may be delayed during the conference period.
For emergencies only, an emergency phone number will be available from Tuesday afternoon, 26 August; each day, we can be reached between 8am and 10pm. The number is:
+31 (0)6 86 44 51 06
Please note: this number is strictly for urgent situations.
If you require medical assistance, please refer to the following doctor’s office:
Telephone number: + 31 (0)30 233 38 88
For pharmacy services (“apotheek”), you can visit this location:
Address: Van Asch van Wijckskade 30
Telephone number: +31 (0)30 232 6010
Registration
Conference registration takes place at Instituto Cervantes. The registration desk opens on Wednesday 27 August at 10:00 and is open daily until 18:00. Registration closes on Friday at 18:00. Please make sure to register as soon as you arrive. You will receive a name badge, which must be worn at all times during the conference.
Security at conference venues (Academiegebouw)
For safety reasons, security personnel may be stationed at the entrance of the Academiegebouw. They will ask everyone entering the building about the purpose of their visit. Please make sure to wear your name badge at all times. If asked, simply state that you are attending the conference – this will be sufficient for entry.
Wi-Fi at venues
All venues will offer free Wi-Fi to our conference participants. Details about this will be shared during the conference in all the venues.