IPS2008: Explore the Edge, the 19th International Planetarium Society Conference, is to be held in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from 27 June to 2 July 2008. The conference takes place at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and at Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Edward (Rocky) Kolb of Fermilab and The University of Chicago launches the conference into orbit by examining Cosmology through the ages, while focusing on the current view of the Universe. Additional, equally impressive and inspirational speakers join the lineup later. An optional mid-conference public talk will bring together Chicago-area science attentive public and IPS delegates.

Education in planetariums of all sizes will be a major conference thread with two foci:

1. Public Education and Public Outreach in the Planetarium World. This strand explores new and innovative educational practices. Potential topics include: customized sky shows for educational audiences, working with teachers, and targeting and programming for community audiences.

2. Insuring Quality: Evaluation, Research, and Professional Development for Planetarians. How do we assess and improve our work as planetarium professionals? Delegates who have existing practices or results that they would like to share are especially welcome to submit papers.

Another thread in the conference theme will be: How will planetaria and their shows remain viable in the future?

Like their predecessors, modern planetaria inspire their audiences with astronomical lore. For many children, planetarium shows have provided their first guided tours of the skies, kindling a lifelong interest in astronomy and space science.

The audiences of today, as well as those of tomorrow, come to planetarium shows with different, if not increasingly sophisticated, expectations compared to those of the past. What experiences will resonate with today’s and tomorrow’s public? What sort of innovative, visually compelling experiences should we provide? What can we do to motivate audiences to attend planetarium shows? What are our competing forms of education, engagement, and entertainment?

The IPS 2008 Conference will address issues relating to identifying, developing, and implementing the experiences that will enable the planetarium of tomorrow to strengthen its role as an important scientific and cultural medium. Participants are encouraged to consider and incorporate these issues into their proposals and presentations. At the Conference, an introductory plenary session will challenge and encourage participants with thought-provoking suggestions and questions to consider throughout Conference presentations. A breakout session will explore specific solutions to these questions, and a final plenary session will bring results of these discussions to the entire Conference. Communication tools will then be developed to extend these discussions beyond the Conference..