Boston, Mass., March 16, 2021 — Integrating academic research into forecasting practice is one of the hallmarks of the annual International Symposium on Forecasting (ISF), being held virtually this year from June 27-30, featuring global Hub locations. The ISF draws the world’s top forecasters and researchers, as presenters and participants, to learn about and discuss the latest advances in the profession.
New in 2021, with the ISF being held as a virtual event with exciting keynote talks, interactive sessions, and workshops, and we will also offer Hub locations spanning the globe! The Hubs will host on-site sessions, keynote talks, and social opportunities, and will be located in Beijing, Lancaster (UK), Rio de Janeiro, Rotterdam, Sydney and Washington D.C.
Considered the forecasting field’s premier international conference, the ISF showcases the full scope of forecasting sectors. This year’s event features sessions on climate predictability, forecasting electricity demand, forecasting in business and supply chains, financial-market volatility, forecast optimality, early-warning signals, tourism forecasting, information-technology trends and macroeconomic trends, and forecasting for public good, among many others.
“The symposium provides a platform for leading forecasting professionals to reveal their insights into the field. With a stimulating scientific and practitioner agenda, and plenty of networking opportunities, both virtually and in our Hub cities, ISF 2021 will be a truly memorable event,” says George Athanasopoulos, General Chair of ISF 2021 and IIF President.
The biennial Clive Granger Memorial Keynote Address, named in honor of the late professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego and Nobel Prize laureate, will be delivered by Sir David Hendry, University of Oxford.
Other notable speakers include: Gerd Gigerenzer, Max Planck Institute for Human Development; Yongmiao Hong, University of theChinese Academy of Sciences; Nicholas Reich, University of Massachusetts; Nada Sanders, Northeastern University; and Galit Shmueli, National Tsing Hua University, who will present the International Journal of Forecasting Editor’s Invited Talk.
In addition to this stellar line-up of academic speakers, the 41st ISF will present the ISF Forecasting in Practice Track to meet the professional development needs of business-forecasting practitioners. Forecasting professionals and industry experts from Aera Technology, Argon & Co., Coca-Cola, Google, IBM, NorthFind Management, SAS, and ThroughPut Inc. will deliver this unique and practical program. Full details are available at https://forecasters.org/isf/program/speakers.
ISF sponsors help us advance the study and practice of forecasting worldwide. We’re grateful to them for their partnership and contributions to this event: Amazon, Elsevier, Facebook, Google, Kinaxis, Monash University, Timberlake Consultants, SAS, Smart Software, ThroughPut Inc. and University of Skövde. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact the IIF (see contact information below).
In conjunction with the ISF, the 4th Forecasting Summer School will be offered July 5-8. The topic is Nowcasting & Models for Mixed-Frequency Data, taught by Massimiliano Marcellino, Bocconi University, Italy. Applications are being accepted at https://forecasters.org/events/summer-school/.
Individuals and organizations are invited through March 19 to submit abstracts for the symposium. Discounted early registration rates for the ISF conference are available through May 3 for IIF members and nonmembers. Special student and low-income country rates are also available. Access online registration at https://isf.forecasters.org/register/registration/
For more information about ISF 2021, see https://forecasters.org/isf/ or contact Pam Stroud, IIF Business Director, at isf@forecasters.org, +1.781.234.4077.
About the International Institute of Forecasters (IIF) — The International Institute of Forecasters, founded in 1981, is the preeminent organization for forecasting scholars and practitioners worldwide. The IIF is universally recognized for promoting best practices and advancing the field of forecasting through its workshops, its annual International Symposium on Forecasting, and its two publications, The International Journal of Forecasting and, for forecasting practitioners, Foresight.