Events and Webinars

We bring together diverse groups of volunteers and leaders for discussion, reflection, and learning.

Participants focus on increasing the impact of volunteers to solve the world’s most pressing problems.

 


World Volunteer Conferences

In 1970, IAVE envisioned a forum where volunteers and leaders across the world could come together to share their experiences, learn from one another, and build bridges across cultural, political, and linguistic barriers. We’ve been convening world conferences ever since!

The conferences always include plenaries with challenging and inspiring speakers; forums that dig deep into challenging issues confronting the field; workshops designed to present new ideas, expose highly effective practices and stimulate participant dialogue; and ample time to meet informally and to learn about the host country.

 


27th World Volunteer Conference

Busan, South Korea
22-25 October 2024

Join us in Busan for IAVE’s 27th World Volunteer Conference! The 2024 conference theme is People Power: Creating a Sustainable Future through Volunteering. The conference will take place in Busan, South Korea, from 22 – 25 October 2024, where we will be hosted by the Busan Metropolitan City Volunteer Centre at BPEX Busan Port International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Mark your calendars!
Sign up for updates here. IAVE members receive early notices and special details about the WVC and discounts on registration. Become a member or renew your membership to ensure you don’t miss anything.

Become a sponsor!
Position your company as a global leader in support of volunteering. Learn about sponsoring the World Volunteer Conference
and connect with Lorrie Foster, IAVE’s Director of Corporate Strategy.

Become a sponsor

 

Previous World Conferences

Since the first world conference in 1970 in Los Angeles, IAVE has convened about every two years for world conferences.

  • 1970 – Los Angeles, USA
  • 1972 – Manila, Philippines
  • 1974 – Nairobi, Kenya
  • 1976 – San Francisco, USA
  • 1978 – Istanbul, Turkey
  • 1980 – Cret Berard, Switzerland
  • 1982 – Oxford, UK
  • 1984 – Bogota, Colombia
  • 1986 – Sydney, Australia
  • 1988 – Washington, DC, USA
  • 1990 – Paris, France
  • 1992 – Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • 1994 – Tokyo, Japan
  • 1996 – Cape Town, South Africa
  • 1998 – Edmonton, Canada
  • 2001 – Amsterdam, Netherlands (Kick-off of International Year of Volunteers)
  • 2002 – Seoul, South Korea
  • 2004 – Barcelona, Spain
  • 2006 – New Delhi, India
  • 2008 – Panama City, Panama
  • 2011 – Singapore (Kick-off of the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers)
  • 2012 – London, UK
  • 2014 – Gold Coast, Australia
  • 2016 – Mexico City, Mexico
  • 2018 – Augsburg, Germany
  • 2022 – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

 


World Youth Volunteer Conferences

The IAVE World Youth Volunteer Conference has been held in conjunction with eight world conferences. Typically scheduled in the few days prior to the world conference, these are special opportunities for young volunteers, up to age 25, to meet together, volunteer together, learn and reflect together, and begin relationships that can last for many years.

 

Previous Youth Conferences

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
24-27 October 2022

In 2022 IAVE held its 26th World Volunteer Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The conference was hosted by the Emirates Foundation.

 

Augsburg, Germany
16-20 October 2018

In 2018, we held our 25th IAVE World Volunteer Conference in Augsburg, Germany. The conference was hosted by Volunteer Center Augsburg.

View a conference summary

 


Regional Conferences

Between world conferences, IAVE has often sponsored regional conferences. These are opportunities for more people to participate and to discuss both global and regional issues. Regional conferences also include either a companion youth conference or integration of youth participants and presenters into the conference program.

Previous Regional Conferences

 


Special Interest Convenings

Every year, IAVE holds one or more special convenings to focus attention on issues of significant interest to target audiences:

  • The World Summit for Youth Volunteering, held every 10 years, the first in Tokyo, Japan in 2001; the second in Barranquilla, Colombia in 2011.
  • The first Global Dialogue on Corporate-NGO Volunteer Partnerships, held in London in December 2012 with a focus on disaster settings, explored both the dynamics of partnerships and the role of corporate volunteers in the whole spectrum of disaster-related activities. View the report of this dialogue.
  • Youth, Volunteering and Employment, held in London in December 2012, explored how volunteering can help young people build skills, behaviors and experiences that will help them enter the world of paid work. View the report of this dialogue.
  • IAVE Forum on Corporate Volunteering Response to the Refugee Challenge was held in Berlin in May 2016, to understand the refugee crisis in Europe, learn how the private sector is currently responding through their employee volunteer programs, and discuss what companies could do individually or collaboratively to respond to the situation. The goal was to inspire new approaches, initiatives, partnerships and action on the refugee crisis. View the online report for this forum.
  • Corporate Volunteering Forum on “Transformative Impact: Sustained Change through Corporate Volunteering” will be held in London in April 2019. The purpose of the forum is to unearth transformative approaches to corporate volunteering that truly enable businesses to increase their impact. The event is co-hosted with VSO. Learn more about the forum.
  • The Latin America Volunteer Leadership Summit will be held in Lima, Peru in September 2019. The summit invites volunteer leaders in the Latin American region to discuss various trends and challenges, catered specifically for the region’s volunteer community.
  • IAVE also regularly hosts convening of members of its key constituent networks – the Global Network of National Volunteer Centers, the Global Corporate Volunteer Council, and our the IAVE Leadership Network.

 


Hosting an IAVE Conference

All IAVE conferences are held in cooperation with a local host organization that has been chosen through an open bid process. To express interest in hosting a future IAVE conference, please email [email protected] with information about your organization. IAVE only considers expressions of interest from NGOs that play leadership roles in support of volunteering. Inquiries directly from event management companies and venues are not considered.

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