Greetings from the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, Auburn University!

The 31st Annual Graduate Education & Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality & Tourism (https://www.gradconfht.com/ ) is calling for paper submissions (http://gradconfht.com/call-for-papers/).

This conference will be hosted by the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, Auburn University, on the campus of Auburn University from January 8-10, 2026.  

Who should attend this conference?

The focus of the conference is to encourage communication among students who are conducting research in the field of hospitality and tourism. While this conference has been designed for graduate students and faculty, undergraduate students, and industry professionals with interest in graduate education should consider attending.

What topics will fit for this conference?

This conference focuses on a broad range of contemporary topics relevant to research, education, and industry practices in hospitality, tourism, and related fields of study. Presentation proposals are hereby solicited, and the lead author must be a graduate student or an undergraduate senior student who aspires to pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, at least one faculty member (i.e., mentor) must be included as a co-author.

Students must indicate one of the following tracks when submitting a paper for review:

• Consumer Behavior in Hospitality
• Consumer Behavior in Tourism
• Finance & Economics
• Human Resources & Leadership & Education
• Lodging Management & Service Quality
• Marketing
• Restaurant & Food Service
• IT Adoption & Application
• Tourism & Sustainability

What is the format of submission?

Option 1: Students may submit a 2000-word Structured Abstract (references, tables, and figures excluded) to the tracks for “Completed Empirical Research Paper” for being considered for an Oral Presentation.

The anonymous structured abstract should include sections as below:

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Methods
• Results and Discussion
• Implications
• APA Style (7^th Edition) References, Tables, and Figures (Note: The 2000-word limit does not include references, tables, or figures)
• Place a word count at the end of your manuscript prior to the tables, figures, and references
• Margins should be 1-inch on sides, 1-inch on top and bottom
• Font: Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt

Option 2: Students may submit a 1000-word Structured Abstract (references, tables, and figures excluded) to the tracks for “Work-in-Progress Paper” for being considered for a Poster Presentation.

The anonymous structured abstract should include sections as below:

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Proposed Methods
• Expected Results
• Significance of Study
• APA Style (7^th Edition) References, Tables, and Figures (Note: The 1000-word limit does not include abstract, references, tables, or figures)
• Place a word count at the end of your manuscript prior to the tables, figures, and references
• Margins should be 1-inch on sides, 1-inch on top and bottom
• Font: Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt

Submission Guidelines and Review Process

PDF format is required for submission on EasyChair.

Once submitted, papers will undergo a double-blind review process. Reviewers will rely upon the following criteria to evaluate the submission

• Originality/Innovativeness of paper
• Quality of methodology
• Quality of results description
• Significance of study/Importance to academia, industry, or society
• Quality of writing/readability

Paper submission and notification timeline

• September 15, 2025: Online paper submission closes at 11:59 pm CST, USA.
• October 20, 2025: Notification of acceptance and registration opening
• November 11, 2025: One-page extended abstract due by 11:59 pm CST, USA.

Once participants receive the acceptance notification, please make sure to submit the one-page extended abstract (a guided template will be shared along with the acceptance notification) through the same submission route (EasyChair) no later than November 11, 2025, 11.59 pm CST. Please ensure that this one-page extended abstract replaces the initial submission; this version will be included in the conference proceedings.

For the paper submission details, please visit the official conference website: http://gradconfht.com/call-for-papers/

Note: All papers are to be submitted online via the conference’s EasyChair (https://easychair.org/conferences?conf=gradconference2026) submission page no later than the due dates.

If you have inquiries regarding the conference and paper submission, please send an email to Dr. Yee Ming Lee, Paper Review Chair, yzl0085@auburn.edu.