T he next International OITAF Congress, which is held every six years, is already visible on the horizon. Preparations for the 2017 event began at OITAF some time ago. Now it is the turn of the ropeway community to make its contribution and breathe life into the conference motto: “Ropeways – Motion and Emotion”. Below is a preview of the program for the four sessions of the conference and information on submission of papers.
1st session: Ropeway developments in the fields of tourism and urban transportation
- Developments, examples and future projects
- Potential ropeway applications
- Challenges in Europe
2nd session: Ropeway operations: technical and commercial aspects
- Ropeways, a tool for regional economic development
- Ropeways, a mode of transportation for all seasons
- Activities of OITAF work committees:
no. IV Legal, Administrative, Economic and Statistical Matters
no. VI Optimization of Operation of Ropeway Systems
3rd session: Spot on ropeway technology
- Developments: higher speeds and capacities, what is technically feasible, new materials, new solutions, where are the limits?
- Availability of ropeways
- Activities of OITAF work committees:
no. I Ropeway Engineering and Technical Recommendations
no. II Characteristics and Inspection of Ropes
no. III Electrical Components and Modules in Ropeway Installations
4th session: Sustainability of ropeways
- Creating a sustainable landscape experience
- Sparing use of resources
- Sparing use of the landscape
- UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites and ropeway access
- Lifecycle considerations
- Ropeways compared with other transportation systems
- Activities of OITAF work committee: no. VII Environment
Call for Papers
OITAF invites authors of previously unpublished papers relating to the topics of the four conference sessions to indicate their wish to make a presentation at the event. The conference languages are English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
An abstract of the paper to be presented must be submitted in digital format via the website www.oitaf2017.com by September 5, 2016.
The following information is required:
- Title of the paper
- Number of the relevant session
- Name of the speaker
- Position
- E-mail address
- Telephone number
The following requirements apply to abstracts:
- File format: Microsoft Word or text file
- Language: English, French, German or Italian
- Maximum text length: 350 words, plus additional Powerpoint presentation if desired.
Selection of submitted papers and deadlines
The abstracts submitted will be assessed by a Reading Committee and a selection made for the Congress. Before a final decision is taken, contributors may be asked to supply additional explanations or make amendments or corrections to their papers.
Abstracts must reach OITAF by September 5, 2016. Abstracts submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Acceptance and final version of papers
Acceptance of papers will be communicated to authors in January 2017. Authors must send the final version of their papers in one of the five conference languages by April 17, 2017.
Presentation of papers
Speakers will normally be allowed a maximum of thirty minutes to present their papers. Requests for an exemption from this time limit must be addressed to the Reading Committee. Simultaneous interpretation for the four conference sessions will be provided in the five conference languages. The papers submitted will be published on the OITAF website after the event.
Reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses for speakers and moderators
Travel (economy class for air tickets) and the cost of hotel accommodation in Bolzano for the period of the Congress will be reimbursed to contributors whose papers are accepted by the Reading Committee for presentation to the Congress.
Contact address: