IAMCR2010 - Final Remarks

IAMCR2010 begun as an idea formally put forward by Moisés Martins in Paris (2007). By then, the plan was to host a conference in Braga in 2011. When the proposal was finally accepted, a team of people begun interfacing with the organization and planning the event to the smallest detail. The project started to occupy larger and larger portions of working days of an also growing number of people since the beginning of 2009 and involved an amazing group of volunteers from early 2010.

It now seems appropriate to write a few words about them - the 'engine room' staff, the 'ask me people'.
During a very intense week they had to assist, direct, transport, and help entertain more than 1200 people from some 80 countries. They had to improvise. They had to be extremelly patient. They had to relly on each other.
Most of them will forever remember particular incidents, particular moments, particular people, but they will also remember the whole experience and the deep personal attachments that developed during this week.
In time they will also appreciate how rare that can be.

Thank you all!

(We can now focus on organizing something less demanding
...like the World Cup, or the Olympics...)

Reception at Bom Jesus

 IAMCR2010 conference dinner took place at Bom Jesus. Food, drink, an amazing sunset and the musical contribution of Cees Hamelink and the Burgundian Combo.
When everyone had already enjoyed the view, the food and the wine, Manuel Pinto, Director of the Communication and Society Research Centre, made a positive balance of the Conference. He also took the chance to thank all the people in the organisation and all the volunteers.
After the dinner, everybody joined to see one of the professors of University of Minho playing the accordion with the band.
For most of the guests the night ended with the song "Menina estás à Janela", sung by a large group of volunteers.

Inês Espojeira



Video by Isabel Ferreira and José Miguel Carvalho

Portuguese Folk Music

Open air concert: portuguese folk music with "Toques do Caramulo"

Tribute to Denis McQuail

The Communication and Society Research Centre hosted a tribute ceremony to Denis McQuail, in recognition of his work and long-standing contribution to the University of Minho.




The ceremony took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Auditorium B1 and registered a massive affluence. In fact, the room was too small for so much enthusiasm.
Manuel Pinto introduced the session referring the importance of McQuail’s book to his academic career: “he inspires people”. Helena Sousa also talked about his humanity and his interest in everybody’s work. “Despite his status he’s generous and friendly. He reads a lot, he knows a lot”, said Helena Sousa.

Peter Golding, a special guest of the IAMCR, stated that there’s a piece of Denis in each one of us and also remembered his importance to the society. “We are lucky to have Denis contribution to Communication.” Denis McQuail thanked the tribute and said he’s up to do more.”It’s not time for balances. I’m not retiring”, joked. McQuail revealed the secret to his success: “To work along with special people”. After his discourse, McQuail left the room under a standing ovation.

António Vieira and Pedro Nogueira




Video by Nuno Pereira and Mariana Santos

Reception at Casa dos Coimbras

The participants finished the day in a reception at “Casa dos Coimbras”. Dj Cat animated the second night of IAMCR 2010.
Animation, food and drinks are the keywords for good moments and, in fact, this was a memorable night to these group of communication researchers.
In the Casa dos Coimbra’s garden everyone enjoyed the music and the environment was very healthy. Carla Cerqueira, a member of Communication and Society Research Centre, considered that these activities are very important to make more relationships and contacts in world of communication. To the researcher the most important is the experience confer to students of this area, like the volunteers.
With regarding to organization, the researcher Helder Prior claims that this conference is better than others especially in the number of participants. Helder confessed that he is surprised with the success of the organization, specifically with this reception.

Sofia Gomes and Andreia Mandim

IAMCR Reception at Casa dos Coimbras

Video by Isabel Ferreira and José Miguel Carvalho

IAMCR Opening Ceremony at Theatro Circo

Video by Nuno Pereira and Mariana Santos

Maria João and Mário Laginha

At the end of the opening ceremony everyone stood silent to hear Maria João and Mario Laginha. The musical duet took the stage and amazed the audience.
For about an hour, the room was filled with the versatile voice of Maria João and the melodious piano of Mário Laginha. Almost everyone in the audience enjoyed the show. “The concert was fantastic” declared Gordon Adam from the UK. “The singer is very unusual, I’ve never heard anything like that before, she has a fantastic voice. It’s something new, like contemporary portuguese jazz”.
Outside the theatre, the appretiation of the duet was unanimous and very positive. “I thought they were both fantastic. The music is very inovative, she has a wonderfull voice and the pianist is outrageously good”, asserted James Kelly, from the USA. Dennis McQuail, a famous academic investigator within the area of communication theories, also enjoyed the performance: “I loved the concert, every song was better than the last”.
The duet is formed by the singer Maria João and the pianist Mário Laginha and they’ve been working together for 25 years. Their music has many influences, from traditional portuguese, african and brazilian music to contemporary jazz. It’s due to this diversity of sounds that Augusto Soares da Silva, from Portugal, believes that it was a good choice to inaugurate an international communication conference: “The concert was excellent, it’s interesting that in a communication congress we can communicate in several ways and sounds, linguistic and non linguistic ways”.
This concert closed the first day of the IAMCR in Braga, that will last until the 22th of July, next thursday.

Mafalda Trindade

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of IAMCR2010 will take place at Theatro Circo (Avenida da Liberdade - city centre) from 18:00.

Conference participants wishing to register can do that at the foyer of the theatre from 15:00.

All are advised to be at Theatro Circo at 17:30.

The ceremony will end with a music concert by portuguese jazz musicians Maria João and Mário Laginha.

Photo by stukinha

Maria João and Mário Laginha - concert

The opening ceremony will end with a special show by portuguese jazz musicians Maria João and Mário Laginha.
Those wanting to get a glimpse of what might happen on stage please see this performance of Maria João with Bobby Mcferrin (Burghausen 2002).


...Bobby, unfortunately, will not be joining us on this particular occasion...

Conference kit

After registration - at Theatro Circo (city centre), from 15:00 on Sunday, or at the university's CP2 from monday morning onwards - all conference participants will get a ticket to pick up the conference kit.
Each kit has a conference programme, a survival guide, a conference fan, a usb pen drive with all the abstracts, paper, pencil, map of Braga, meal vouchers (4 luch, 1 reception, 1 dinner), and a badge (those who have, in due time, indicated their willingness to have vegetarian meals will get different - green - colour meal vouchers).
Please note that meal vouchers work as tickets to access not only lunch but also the planned evening events.

Picking up and use of the conference badge

The conference badge looks like a credit card
- please keep it with you at all times.

It can be picked up:

• from 15:00 at Theatro Circo (city centre) where the Opening Ceremony will take place at 18:00
• from 8:00 on the 19 July until the end of the conference in CP 2, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho

The conference badge is necessary:

• To have access to Theatro Circo's main room where the Official Opening Ceremony will take place;
• To freely circulate in all areas of the Gualtar Campus (CP 2, CP 1, canteens, etc.);
• To have access to monday's Reception at Casa dos Coimbras and to the Conference Dinner in Bom Jesus;
•  To access free transportation (except at the airport where you do not need the badge);
• To circulate for free in any bus of the Braga transport network (TUB – Transportes Urbanos de Braga) by showing the badge to the bus driver.

Registered accompanying people will have a special badge to access all post-18:00 social activities and to circulate for free in any bus of the Braga transport network (TUB – Transportes Urbanos de Braga).

For those arriving early...

Conference participants arriving at Braga on the 16th or on the 17th might like to attend a free choir open air concert at the magnificent Bom Jesus steps.
'Voices over the city' is the annual summer concert of the University's Academic Choir (Coro Académico da Universidade do Minho), and in this particular show they will combine their vocal talent with the music of a rock band.

Venue: Bom Jesus steps
Day: Saturday, 17th
Time: 21h30

Getting ready to welcome you

More than one hundred volunteers have been preparing to help participants and to make this conference a productive and enjoyable occasion.
Coordination meetings are coming to an end (after a few of those)... and finally the t-shirts have arrived!