As in other years, we will also have a general research track for papers that do not exactly fit the tracks we have proposed, but are of interest in the theme of #WellBeing specifically or e- and m- business in general. We also encourage respected scholars to propose additional tracks: researchers who are part of a network and would like to have their theme represented in Bled 2015 can apply to the Research Track Chair or to the Program Committee Chair to discuss possibilities to run their own track (see important dates above). Prerequisites are the willingness to manage the review process for the articles in the track and the ability to attract sufficient papers to ensure that an acceptance rate can be achieved of lower than 50%.

Finally, we do realize that the competition among conferences is increasingly high and that the “publish or perish” paradigm flourishes around the globe. Allow us to offer some reasons why the Bled eConference should be your conference of choice in 2015. The conference has a history of close to thirty years now, started in the late 1980s by prof. Joze Gricar. Since its very beginnings it has been a conference that focused on Relevance with Rigor as the underpinning foundation for contributions. This has always made the conference an excellent podium for testing out new ideas and research in progress, for senior and junior researchers alike. We want to keep this tradition in place, even thought the dominance of empirical research in the higher-ranked conference would suggest an alternative path. The validity of this philosophy is underlined through the cooperation with several journals, at present the International Journal for Electronic Markets, and we are looking forward to expanding this with other journals. Several “Special Issues” have resulted from Bled eConferences, giving the authors of selected papers ample opportunity to get rated publications as a direct and immediate result from being at Bled. This is even disregarding the number of partnerships between researchers that have originated at Bled and leading to fruitful cooperations.

Next year’s fortified link to the Horizon 2020 program is another reason that makes participation in the conference worthwhile. If you are considering a Horizon 2020 project and you want to get guidance directly from the EU itself, speak with colleagues who have gone through the process already, or search for partners in completing your proposal, you should come to the only conference in Europe that provides such a platform adjacent to the academic program.

Bled also has a long tradition of coaching young researchers and students. The Graduate Symposium has been on the program since the early 1990s with the ambition to help young PhD candidates to sharpen their research proposals and to help them find international colleagues working on similar themes. While some big universities can organize meaningful and on-topic doctoral symposia themselves, in many cases it is difficult to bring together sufficient (young) researchers from the relevant field and Bled provides an excellent platform for that.

One of the ambitions for the coming years is to strengthen the link to the business world. A conference that has rigor-based “Relevance” as its key distinguishing feature should provide for ample opportunity to facilitate the interaction between practitioners and researchers. In 2015 we will introduce new program elements designed to encourage this interaction. More communication on this will follow in due course.

Finally, the perhaps most important reason of all for coming to Bled, especially in the context of #WellBeing, is the excellent location and facilities at which this conference is held. Many professional and private friendships originate in Bled, at one of the many social events, the morning run around the lake or the golf tournament preceding the official program. We are eager to meet you in 2015 to participate in the truly unique experience that makes the Bled eConference.