The Circus Historical Society will hold its 2025 Convention in Las Vegas Nevada from October 22 to October 25. More information about Convention is available here: https://circushistory.org/next-convention/ (Registration opens soon!) 

We invite proposals for presentations at the convention on any subject related to circus history:

• Papers/presentations by a single speaker should be limited to 25 minutes including questions.
• Panel/group presentations should be limited to 45 minutes including questions.

All presentations should be delivered in person. However, consideration will be given for the delivery of a limited number of single speaker presentations via Zoom.

Presenters must register and provide for their own travel and lodging expenses. Discounted registration fees are available for Circus Historical Society members, for full-time academics and students, and for online-only attendees. Presenters will be given an opportunity to sell and sign their books during the convention at no charge and to meet with our editors about publishing an article about their topic in Bandwagon: The Journal of the Circus Historical Society.

Submission Guidelines

All proposals for presentations must be submitted through the Google Form linked below. Please have your presentation title, short description (150 words or less), and brief bio (150 words or less) ready to submit on the form.

Proposals must be received by June 1, 2025. Proposals submitted after that day and/or submitted via email will not be accepted. The Convention committee will review proposals and notify presenters in June.

Link to Google Form for submission: https://forms.gle/wnFWouV1WE4b6nSs8 

New in 2025: Student Prize

This year, we will award a prize for the best paper submitted by an active undergraduate or graduate student who is enrolled at a college or university at the time of the 2025 Convention. The Circus Historical Society Student Prize will celebrate a paper's quality of research and writing, applicability to circus history studies, and documentation. The winning paper must be presented in person at the Convention to claim the award.

The prize includes a free convention registration (note: travel and lodging not included), admission to the reception, banquet, and all other convention activities, a one-year CHS membership, and a $100 stipend. The paper will be considered for publication in Bandwagon: The Journal of the Circus Historical Society.

Submissions must be sent in MS Word or PDF format by June 1, 2025. Learn more and submit: https://circushistory.org/next-convention/