The 13th Triennial Invitational Choice Symposium will take place from August 12–15, 2026, in breathtaking Vail, Colorado. Conference co-chairs Alix Barasch, Nicholas Reinholtz, Amit Bhattacharjee, and Phil Fernbach, from the University of Colorado Boulder, invite scholars interested in leading a workshop at the Symposium to submit a proposal by September 30, 2025. For more details, please visit www.choicesymposium2026.com.
The Choice Symposium provides a unique opportunity to attend an intensive three-day workshop with a small group of leading scholars to engage in in-depth discussion of a major research question. Accepted workshop groups will have the opportunity to attend the Symposium and to submit a paper for consideration in a journal with a special issue tied to the event.
Workshop Topic: Proposals should center on a topic that advances our understanding of individual choice behavior and decision-making, ideally bridging multiple academic disciplines. We encourage bold, generative ideas that can shape future research agendas.
Workshop Participants: Workshop organizers are responsible for assembling a group of 12–16 participants (including themselves). Participants should consist of scholars who have already made significant contributions to the topic, as well as those from adjacent domains with complementary expertise and clear potential to enrich the conversation. Inclusion of well-qualified practitioners with demonstrable expertise is also welcome.
We strongly encourage incorporating a diversity of perspectives, and group composition will be a key factor in proposal evaluation. Participants often come from a variety of disciplines relevant to the study of choice behavior (e.g., marketing, psychology, economics, management, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, statistics), and past workshops have included those from areas spanning medicine, environmental studies, accounting, finance, literature, and transportation.
Note: Workshop organizers and participants may only be listed on one proposal.
Workshop Format: Organizers of accepted proposals will be responsible for planning the agenda for their sessions. The symposium typically includes two and a half days of academic workshops to allow ample time for integrative dialogue, as well as a half day of leisure activities to foster informal exchange and connection.
Note: All participants are expected to attend the entire Symposium and actively engage in all workshop discussions. Participants are also required to register for the conference (registration fees are currently expected to be ~$800/person). Each group must have a minimum of 12 participants registered for the conference.
Proposal Requirements:
Workshop Title
Organizer Information: Names, affiliations, and contact details for 1–3 organizers
Workshop Description (max 500 words):
Clearly state the theme and its significance
Outline the current state of knowledge
Describe how the workshop will spark new thinking and research
Participant Roster:
List of 12–16 participants (including organizers)
Include affiliation, contact info, and a 1–2 sentence summary of each person’s expected contribution
Confirm that each has committed to attend if accepted
References: A list of key works that anchor the proposed topic
Submission: Workshop proposals must be submitted in pdf format to the Choice Symposium email address choicesymposium2026@gmail.com by September 30, 2025.
Proposal review: Workshop proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by members of the Program Committee. Evaluation criteria include: (1) intellectual contribution of the workshop, (2) potential to foster deep interdisciplinary dialogue, (3) novelty of the topic, and (4) quality and relevance of proposed participants. Fit and overall balance of topics across the symposium will also be considered.
We look forward to seeing your ideas, and hope you’ll join us in Vail for an energizing and enlightening gathering of the Choice community!