The International Business & Economics Research (IBER) Conference and College Teaching & Learning (TLC) Conference are planned for the Riviera Hotel & Casino (www.rivierahotel.com) in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, for Monday-Thursday, September 29-October 2, 2008.  The Riviera Hotel & Casino is on the Las Vegas Strip, just north of the Wynn and the new Trump International Hotel & Tower (opening April 2008).

The TLC Conference provides a forum for faculty and administrators to share proven and innovative methods in teaching at the college level. Come to present papers on teaching issues such as: curriculum, ethics in higher education, promotion and tenure, accreditation, teaching methods and styles, administration, faculty welfare, technology in the classroom, teacher evaluation, department-specific issues, and related topics.

The IBER Conference provides a forum for faculty to present their research on any business, economics, or business-related topic.

For both conferences, a Best Paper Award is issued for the best paper in each session. Papers winning the Best Paper Award will automatically be reviewed for possible publication in one of our academic journals. Papers not winning an award may also be submitted for journal review via email request. 

For those who cannot attend the conference and still wish to present a paper at this conference, we now offer an E-session for your convenience.  You still pay the registration fee and submit a  paper; however rather than physically attending the conference, your paper will be displayed electronically during the e-session for viewing and discussion.  We need your presentation emailed to us in PowerPoint format, with or without "voice-over",  by September 10, 2008.

You are invited to attend the conference, even if you choose not to present a paper.  Please register for either conference and you may attend both for one registration fee.  Please put "Attending only" in the paper title line on the registration form.

Hotel and Travel Reservations / Information:

A block of rooms is available at the Riviera Hotel & Casino at a special rate of $  119.00   USD per room, per night, single or double occupancy --plus Clark County room taxes of 9% and an energy surcharge of $3.50(over 2 people, add $20/person)--for Monday-Thursday, September 29-October 2, 2008. 

Please note that there is a limit on the number of rooms reserved for all preferred rates, so book your room as soon as you can.

To receive the special $ 119.00 rate, you must call the Hotel Reservation Department at (1-800-634-6753).  Mention that you are with The Clute Institute conference.  Reservations must be made as soon as possible, to receive promotional rates, which are also based on availability at the time of booking.

More information about the Riviera Hotel & Casino can be found by visiting their website:  www.rivierahotel.com

The use of email and email attachments is highly encouraged for all correspondence; however, if you prefer, you are welcome to send us a hard copy and CD via regular mail.  Please note that e-session presentations require your paper to be submitted in PowerPoint format, preferably with "voice-over".

Email:  Submit an abstract/proposal (not to exceed 1,500 words) or a full paper to Staff@CluteInstitute.com.

Regular Mail:  Send an IBM compatible CD with your abstract/proposal (not to exceed 1,500 words) or a full paper to the Clute Institute for Academic Research, P.O. Box 620760, Littleton, CO 80162, USA.

Deadline extended to Sept. 10, 2008! 

  Style Guidelines

Within one week of receiving your proposal, we will email to you a notification of acceptance or rejection.  If your manuscript is accepted, you will then receive a separate email consisting of a letter of acceptance and conference style guidelines.  The Registration Form, required for all participants including those who are "attending only", is available online by pressing on the appropriate button above. 

If you wish to have your full paper included in the proceedings, the final manuscript should be formatted as follows:

Use Microsoft Word on 8.5" x 11" paper, fully prepared in the way you want it to look in the proceedings.  For example, tables must be placed where you want them to appear.  If you have complex tables, diagrams, or symbols in the paper, please send us a hard copy for reference purposes in case the tables do not transmit successfully. 

Single-spaced, left-justified, have 1-inch margins on all four sides

Any "Times" font, (Times New Roman, CG Times, etc.) at 10 points (with the exception of the title, which must be at 26 points), and not exceed 15 pages in length.  To ensure the quality of the published proceedings, authors are urged to take care while preparing their manuscript. 

Papers exceeding fifteen pages will be assessed a $10 fee for each page over the limit.

The following information is required with submitted papers:

Name and title, institute affiliation, mailing address, and email address for all authors (please specify a contact author, if there is more than one)

Conference & location for which the paper is submitted

Paper title

Academic department to which paper pertains (if appropriate)

Abstract 

Key Words

Body of paper.  Please do not use Microsoft Word features (columns or styles) in the formatting of your paper.  References and endnotes need to be consistent and in a generally-accepted format.

If necessary, please indicate the conference day on which you prefer to present (checked on the Registration Form or via a separate email message).

For questions, please contact us at Staff@CluteInstitute.com.

The final version of your abstract or paper, as well as the conference fee, must be received by the due date of September 1, 2008.  Deadline now extended to Sept. 10, 2008!

  Social Activities 

Las Vegas is a city with lots of free and fun things to do for the entire family. The Riviera Hotel and Casino also has many amenities (click on the "Hotel and Travel" button), and is located on the Las Vegas Strip, just north of the Wynn and the new Trump International Hotel & Tower (opening April 2008) - close to many activities (www.virtualvegasstrip.com or www.visitlasvegas.com).

Here are a few suggestions to occupy your non-conference time outside of the Riviera:

• Free light show on Freemont Street. Visit www.vegasexperience.com for a preview.
• Free fire show and shopping at Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino
• Shopping at the Venetian Hotel & Casino
• The New York, New York Hotel & Casino is a great place to visit.
• The Excaliber Hotel (castle hotel) is a great place to take kids.
• Free water show at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino
• Free pirate ship battle show at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino
• Star Trek show at the Hilton Hotel & Casino
• Free volcano show at the Mirage Hotel & Casino
• All about Las Vegas
• Red Rock Canyon
• Spring Mountain Ranch
• Valley of Fire State Park
• Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
• The Las Vegas City guide
• McCarran International Airport

List of things to do in and around Las Vegas.

For more information about the city of Las Vegas, visit www.ci.las-vegas.nv.us.

• We offer a variety of sessions:  regular, e-session, workshop, panel, and poster.
• Professors will be able to improve research and teaching skills. 
• For those who cannot attend the conference for whatever reason, our e-session offers them the opportunity to present their papers electronically and still receive their peers' feedback.
• Papers winning the Best Paper Award will automatically be reviewed for possible publication in one of our academic journals.  All of our journals are listed in appropriate Cabell's directories.
• All accepted papers/abstracts are double-blind reviewed and will be published in our refereed conference proceedings, unless otherwise requested.
• "Abstract only" publications in the conference proceedings are permitted.  The proceedings are not copyrighted, allowing authors to submit their papers to other journals and conferences. 
• Conference attendee voting will determine recipients of both the TLC and IBER conference Best Paper awards.  However, to actually win a Best Paper Award or to be considered for publication in one of our academic journals, we must have the completed paper to evaluate.
• Faculty may organize a session, invite participants, and serve as the session chair.  If you are interested, please contact the conference chair, Ronald C. Clute, Ph.D. at Staff@CluteInstitute.com.
• Faculty may specify their preferred presentation day.

For food choices, there are numerous restaurants and pubs, including a food court, in the Riviera.

Abstracts/proposals must be received by the due date of September 1, 2008.  Emails of acceptance or rejection will be transmitted within one week. Deadline now extended to Sept. 10, 2008!

If you need to restrict your presentation time to a particular day, please write it in on the registration form that is due with your attendance fee by September 1, 2008. The IBER and TLC Conference dates are Monday through Thursday, September 29-October 2, 2008.

Please note that there is a limit on the number of rooms reserved for all preferred rates, so book your room as soon as you can.

Fees for the 2008 IBER and TLC conferences are:

• To attend one or both conferences (whether or not a paper is being presented), there is a total one-time registration fee of $295.00 per attendee.  This fee includes:  admission to both conferences' presentations and workshops, a 20-minute time slot to present one paper at one of the two conferences, and a copy of the conference program.  The proceedings will be available to download off of our website after the conference.  If you wish to have the conference proceedings on a 512 USB flash drive, please pay the additional $20 for each when you pay your conference registration fees.  All attending conference participants must pay the registration fee and at least one author per paper must attend, unless the paper is being presented in our e-sessions.
• To present an additional paper at either conference, or to present the same paper at both conferences, there is an added fee of $100.00 per paper.  For example:
  • A faculty member may register for one conference and present the same paper at both conferences for a total of $395.00.
  • A faculty member may register for both conferences ($295.00 fee includes admittance to both) and present two papers at the same conference for a total of $395.00.

The registration fee must be received by the deadline of September 1, 2008  to assure scheduling in the program.  

There is a $50 fee if cancellation is received between September 11 and 18, 2008; and there will be no refund for cancellations received after September 19, 2008.

A pre-paid $25 fee may be imposed on excessive conference transfers from one conference to another. 

Please contact our staff if you have any questions.

The Clute Institute For Academic Research

Ronald C. Clute, Ph.D., Conference Chair

Email:         Staff@CluteInstitute.com
Website:     www.CluteInstitute.com
Telephone:  303-904-4750
Fax:            303-978-0413

1.  Dress Code:  We do not have a dress code; what goes for classroom attire goes for the conference.  The important thing is to be comfortable.

2.  Presentation Room Equipment:  Each presentation room will be equipped with a laptop, data projector and screen for PowerPoint presentations.  There will not, however, be a transparency projector.  Please bring your presentation on a flash drive or USB drive, as well as 10 - 15 copies of your paper for distribution.

3.  Session Timing:  We plan to allow approximately 20 minutes for each presentation.

4.  Best Airfare:  Consult with your travel agent and the Internet (priceline.com, cheaptickets.com, expedia.com, and lowestfare.com) for the lowest fare. We permit last-minute changes in your presentation schedule to accommodate your travel arrangements.

5.  CPE Credit:  Professionals seeking Continuing Professional Education Credit should contact the conference chair or indicate on the Registration Form that they must receive CPE credit for attending the conference.  Necessary paperwork is required and will be available at the conference registration desk.

6.  Organize a Session:  Faculty may organize their own session, invite participants, and serve as the session chair.  Please contact us at Staff@CluteInstitute.com to make arrangements.

7.  Late Submission:  If you missed a deadline, please email Staff@CluteInstitute.com.

8.  Abstract-Only Publications:  Authors often elect to publish only the abstract of their presentation in the conference proceedings. This effectively gives the author until the conference date to complete the paper. This also means that the author is free to submit the paper to another journal without copyright consequences. This is possible because the paper has never been published elsewhere since only the abstract was published in the proceedings.  The Clute Institute does not copyright the proceedings, which means that authors are still free to do as they see fit with the paper.  Consequently, authors can claim academic credit for a conference presentation, a refereed conference proceedings publication, and possibly a journal publication (from one of our journals or a different journal) from one piece of research.

9.  Republishing A Presentation:  Authors are free to publish their presentation elsewhere without fear of copyright problems and without permission from the Clute Institute.  However, conference papers that are selected for and published in one of our journals are copyrighted by the Clute Institute with the copyright given back to the author. We do this because we need to protect ourselves in case the paper has been plagiarized.  Papers are only published in one of our journals with the consent of the author.

10.  Attending Only:   You may attend both the teaching and the business conference at one location for one registration fee.  A Registration Form for either conference is all that is needed (obtained from the "Registration Form" links above) as well as the registration fee.  Please indicate "attending only" on the registration form.

  IBER and TLC Conference Schedules

Your presentation will be scheduled for the day or days you request on your Registration Form and we will email &/or post the conference schedule for authors in the BLOG for this conference approximately one week to 10 days before the conference.

The conference schedule will include:  author name, paper #, presentation day, time, and room name.   If your name is not listed or we have an incorrect date, please contact us immediately so we can correct the error on the printed program.

Proceedings will be available on our website after the conference.