WELCOME FROM THE CONFERENCE CHAIRS

We are very pleased to welcome you to Rotterdam for the 34th annual IPSERA conference. The theme for this year’s conference is “Room for Talent”. While the conference will discuss all topics relevant to purchasing and supply management, we will pay special attention to the theme in plenary sessions as well as in some of the paper presentations and professional development workshops (PDWs). All sessions will take place at Erasmus University Rotterdam, while the social events in the evenings are all in the city. 

We would like to thank our sponsors Nevi, Inchainge, Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) and Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (ESHPM) for making this conference possible. 

The program follows the general structure that regular IPSERA attendees have become used to. On Sunday, we host the Doctoral Workshop (DW) and the Educators’ Workshop (EW) as our pre-conference meetings. A total of 22 doctoral students will share and discuss their research plans in the DW. In parallel, the EW boasts sessions on AI and sustainability in education. In the evening, the welcome reception will take place at “De Gele Kanarie” (location Goudsesingel). The reception is open to all conference participants, including those who did not participate in the DW or EW. De Gele Kanarie is a place with a true Rotterdam style (corky and cozy!) and a wide range of beers brewed right in the basement. 

With the welcome reception behind us, the conference proper takes place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. These days, up to Wednesday early afternoon, are filled with PDWs, paper presentations and a variety of plenary sessions. At the time of writing, we have programmed for 38 competitive papers (CPs), 147 working papers (WPs), 8 practitioner papers (PP), and 7 PDWs. Please check the conference program here.  

We received a total of 249 abstract and paper submissions from 29 countries. All papers received a double-blind review, thanks to the effort of our Scientific Committee members. The conference will bring together 320 participants, of which 288 will be attending the conference in person and 32 will be joining us online. Among the 320 attendees, 71 are PhD students. 

In terms of plenaries, we have the opening on Monday (8:30 to 9:30) with a keynote by Dr. Bex Hewett. On Tuesday, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place early morning, for which all IPSERA members are warmly invited to hear and co-create where the association is heading. On Tuesday afternoon, we offer two keynotes on the theme of our conference, with our guests Claire Barnhoorn and Oli Arnason. On Wednesday, the plenary closing ceremony, with announcement of the conference awards, will take place from 12:45-13:30. 

Practitioners were able to purchase a special Tuesday ticket. While all sessions of the day are of course open to all IPSERA attendees, we concentrated some practitioner-oriented elements on the Tuesday. These include two keynotes on talent management, and the parallel sessions with the practitioner papers.  

Our social program takes us to various places in the city of Rotterdam. The welcome reception on Sunday evening at De Gele Kanarie was already mentioned. On Monday evening, the City of Rotterdam has graciously offered to host us all at the City Hall. Such an invitation is a rare event, so you don’t want to miss it! This year, the official conference photoshoot will take place at this historical venue. On Tuesday, our traditional gala dinner will take place at De Wereldmuseum (the Ethnographic Museum). Before you enter the building, take a moment to enjoy the river view – it is one of the most beautiful ‘Rotterdam vistas’! There will also be the opportunity to see (part of) the collection at the museum before the dinner starts. And of course, there will be dancing until midnight! As a new element this year, our social program will also feature a sports activity on Wednesday morning to wash away that hangover and lack of sleep. Breakfast is included for those who registered for the running or the yoga session. Finally, there is the option to join the boat tour and enjoy the views of Rotterdam from the water on Wednesday afternoon (for an additional fee). We hope this brings together many IPSERA members who want to extend their socialising and see the city from the river. 

As always, we celebrate our academic talents. At the gala dinner, we announce the best doctoral dissertation, and the JPSM Best Paper, Best Reviewer and Best Associate Editor. During the closing ceremony on Wednesday, we find out who are the authors of the conference Best Competitive Paper and Best Paper on Talent. Moreover, we want to celebrate the (hidden) talents of the IPSERA community. Keep your eyes peeled for the creations of your fellow Ipserians (#IPSERAspirit). 

We want to thank all authors, all reviewers, our esteemed guest speakers, the JPSM editors, and the IPSERA Executive Committee for their patience and their continued support over the last year. We hope the Rotterdam conference adds another unforgettable experience to the rich history of IPSERA! 

Erik van Raaij
Professor of Sustainable Procurement in Healthcare 
Rotterdam School of Management and Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University

Anna Nikulina 
Lecturer
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University