22nd Rural Entrepreneurship Conference (REC2025)

Conference theme: Community, Creativity and Liveability: supporting the wellbeing of resilient rural communities through sustainable entrepreneurship.

The event will take place in person and will bring together a wide range of national and international academics, practitioners, public servants, and other stakeholders to discuss various aspects of rural development. Shared conference experiences through invited plenary speakers, formal presentations, and field-visits where knowledge and innovative practice is exchange will be facilitated. Networking opportunities that further such collaboration will be a key aspect of this event.

Following recent times of lockdown and political change rural communities face continuing economic and environmental challenges. This conference seeks creative solutions to grow resilience delivered through innovative practice, policy and partnerships across place, scale, and disciplines.

At a local scale diverse place-based opportunities for social enterprise development exist. These include asset-based innovation, community lead service delivery and wider sustainable transitions such as those focussed on food access, renewable energy, and wider aspects of rural inequalities.

Creativity in building livelihoods is underpinned by appropriate management of environmental assets and services. Similarly rural heritage and linked cultural economy offer a spectrum of new possibilities for innovation that can address rural wellbeing whilst promoting sustainable growth and rural recovery.

This will be the first in-person REC conference hosted in Wales and seeks to enable the sharing of current research and ongoing entrepreneurship. Presentations are welcomed on the following themes:

• Experiences of co-design and co-production associated with sustainable solutions.
• Social entrepreneurship that combines creativity with innovation for sustainable livelihoods.
• Liveable rural communities through sustainable business growth.
• Digital innovation, place-based disparities, service delivery and rural networks.
• Opportunities for creative practice and rural wellbeing.
• Place-based conservation through sustainable entrepreneurship.
• Community partnerships for rural innovation.
• Creative Agri-innovation, interpretation, and diverse solutions for protected landscapes.
• Entrepreneurship delivering Carbon Transition e.g. Renewable Energy solutions.
• Innovative methods for policy and governance to support place-based development.
• Entrepreneurship as a way of retaining young people in rural areas.

Abstracts are also welcomed that address the wider conference theme of rural entrepreneurship and innovation.

A maximum of two abstracts may be submitted per presenter (joint papers to be presented by co-authors will also be considered). The deadline for abstract submissions is 28^th February 2025.

Please see formal abstract template attached.

To submit and for direct conference enquires: eifiona.thomaslane@bangor.ac.uk and rebecca.jones@bangor.ac.uk.

Important deadlines:

• Registration opens from: 1^st December 2024
• Abstract submission: 28^th February 2025
• Notification of acceptance: 14^th March 2025
• Full papers submitted for consideration in best paper awards due: 18th April 2025
• Final registration: 30^th April 2025

Rural Entrepreneurship Conference 2025 Organising Committee:

• Bangor University Geography SENS – Dr Eifiona Thomas Lane, Dr Rebecca Jones and Dr Richard Dallison, School of Environmental and Natural; Sciences
• Cardiff University – Dr Rob Bowen
• Leeds University – Dr Peter Gittins
• Northumbria University - Prof Gary Bosworth & Prof Robert Newbery

Registration

The full conference registration fee will include teas, coffees and working lunch with last day being a brown bag/grab and go lunch. The registration will include a wine reception on day 1 prior to the invited plenary presentation and the conference dinner on the evening of Day 2. The cost of half day field-visit on Day 2 is also included.

The conference will run from 9:00am on Tuesday the 3^rd June to 1:30pm on Thursday the 5^th June.

Early bird Registration Fee (December – March 1^st 5pm)

• £200 regular registration fee
• £180 postgraduate students/unemployed/voluntary sector

Registration after this point (March 1^st 5pm until 20^th April 5pm) 

• £240 regular registration fee
• £200 postgraduate students/unemployed/voluntary sector

All attendees other than invited plenary speakers will need to register before the online shop closes on 5pm on the 20^th April 2025.

Please contact conference organisers if you have any questions: eifiona.thomaslane@bangor.ac.uk or rebecca.jones@bangor.ac.uk.