About Around the World

Around the World represents a new way for all DPC Members, Supporters, and the wider digital preservation community – wherever they are in the world - to come together for live conversation, debate, and knowledge sharing on the biggest topics for our sector right now.

The event format

• Around the World will take place four times across the DPC year.

• Each Around the World will be organised as a mini-conference of three separate regional webinars, focused on a common theme.

• The three webinars will be scheduled separately across the course of a week, at times which should inclusively enable DPC Members and Supporters from across our three major global timezones (Australasia/Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe/Africa/Middle East) to join the debate live, connect with colleagues in real time, and feel a part of the global discussion.

• Each regional webinar will last up to three hours and include a mixture of presentations, panel sessions, open discussion and audience interaction. DPC will aim to connect the content of each webinar through structured conversation and handover where possible.

• Presentations from each webinar will be recorded and made available as a resource to DPC Members, Supporters, and paying attendees.

Around the World themes and dates for 2026-27

Each Around the World will focus on a key digital preservation theme which have been  highlighted to the DPC by our Members. The themes and dates for this year are:

Specific information per theme and webinar timings will be available on each Around the World event page.

Call for speakers

We wish to host a rich and diverse series of presentation and discussions for each Around the World. To support this, we will invite expressions of interest for speakers against all of our themes, via an open call process. We will welcome expressions of interest for speakers from all corners of the digital preservation community: DPC Members, DPC supporters and the wider sector, including commercial entities, who have expertise they would like to share against these themes.

Please note that DPC operates strictly under a policy of neutrality in respect to solutions, approaches, sectors and vendors. Presentations at Around the World must not be used as a mechanism for a ‘sales pitch’: applications for presenting will only be accepted in which expertise and knowledge against the above themes will be openly shared for the benefit of the wider community.

Expressions of interest will be evaluated by a panel of DPC staff, and applicants informed as appropriate.

Regional co-chair

DPC aims to have a regional co-chair from the digital preservation community present at each webinar. The regional co-chair will support event delivery and provide their own expertise and local knowledge to discussions. DPC will directly invite colleagues for this opportunity.

Registration details

Registration is open to all, with no charge for DPC Members or DPC Supporters. Full Members may register 3 attendees and Associate Members may register 1 attendee for the event. Non-Members will need to pay to attend, and further details will be released shortly. Speakers will not be charged to attend.