HS-2026: HOPE Summit 2026 DHL Stadium Cape Town, South Africa, November 18-19, 2026

Conference website	https://www.hopesummit.co.za/call-for-papers
Submission link	https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hs20260
Submission deadline	April 15, 2026
Notification of paper acceptance	July 31, 2026
Final paper for proceedings	September 15, 2026
Presentation deadline	November 1, 2026
Summit registration deadline for presenters	November 1, 2026

What is Hope Summit?

​The Hope Summit 2026 invites academics, researchers, practitioners, and thought leaders to contribute to a rigorous and forward-looking academic programme that explores Hope as a strategic asset in project leadership, business, and management. The Summit provides a respected international platform for sharing research, insights, and evidence-based practices that strengthen People, Purpose, and Performance in project-oriented environments.

We welcome high-quality submissions that advance theory, practice, and interdisciplinary understanding across projects, programmes, and organisations. Contributions may be conceptual, empirical, or practice-based and should demonstrate clear relevance to contemporary challenges and opportunities in project-oriented work.

Why?

The Summit offers a unique cross-industry platform for examining how projects can drive progress, resilience, and sustainable value.

Contributors are invited to share innovative research, practical experiences, and conceptual insights aligned with the Summit’s core themes — People, Purpose, and Performance.

Paper Presenters will have 50% discount from the full ticket price. (Max 2 presenters / one Full Paper)

Selected papers will be featured in the Summit’s Academic and Professional Tracks and published in the Summit’s official proceedings, contributing to a growing body of knowledge on leadership and impact in project management.

List of Topics

Hope Summit 2026 is structured around three core themes: People, Purpose, and Performance.

We welcome contributions under the following key topics:

✔ Leading High Performance Teams

✔ Delivering Impact in a Disrupted World

✔ Capital Projects and Public Value

✔ Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Project Management

Leading High-Performance Teams

At the core of every successful project lies the human dimension — leadership, collaboration, motivation, and trust. This theme examines how teams achieve sustained high performance in complex, high-pressure environments, exploring the ways emotional intelligence, communication, and collective capability influence project success and organisational resilience. Papers in this track are invited to investigate behavioural and cultural dynamics of project work, leadership in diverse and distributed contexts, psychological safety, and the evolving role of people in shaping project outcomes — not just as contributors, but as strategic drivers of performance and value.

Delivering Impact in a Disrupted World

Projects today are expected to deliver more than financial outcomes — they must create measurable, meaningful impact in societies navigating rapid technological, environmental, and geopolitical disruption. This theme explores how projects generate sustainable value, contribute to strategic goals, and align with broader societal, environmental, and ethical considerations in an uncertain landscape. Submissions are encouraged to address frameworks for impact and value measurement, ESG integration, adaptive delivery approaches, and the ways project leadership can translate purpose into long-term benefits for organisations, communities, and the planet.

Capital Projects and Public Value

Large-scale capital projects and public investments define much of the modern built environment. This theme invites insights into governance, performance management, and accountability in public sector projects and infrastructure development. Papers may address topics such as risk and stakeholder management, regulatory frameworks, procurement strategies, and the balance between efficiency, transparency, and public value in complex programmes.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Project Management

Digital transformation is redefining how projects are conceived, planned, and delivered — and artificial intelligence is now at the forefront of that shift. This theme explores how AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making are reshaping project landscapes, changing leadership roles, and expanding what is possible in complex delivery environments. Authors are invited to present research, case studies, and insights on the practical application of digital technologies in enhancing project performance, predictive capability, organisational learning, and the ethical governance required to integrate AI responsibly and sustainably into project practice.

Key Dates & Deadlines

• Full Paper Submission: 21 January 2026 - 15 April 2026.

• Notification of acceptance: 31 July 2026

• Final paper for proceedings: 15 September 2026

• Presentation deadline: 1 November 2026

• Summit registration deadline for presenters:1 November 2026

• Publication of Summit proceedings:18 November 2026 at the Hope Summit

Submission Guidelines

• Full papers describing relevant and impactful contributions that advance theory and practice and address contemporary challenges in projects, programmes, and organisations. 

 

• Language:Full papers must be written in English and submitted electronically via the EasyChair platform

• Max 15 pages and 5 500 words (including tables and figures but excluding references).

• All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. 

 

• All submitted papers will undergo a double-blind peer review.

• Accepted papers will be published in the Summit proceedings.

• Authors of highly rated peer-reviewed papers may be invited to submit an extended or revised version of their work for consideration in the South African Journal of Industrial Engineering (SAJIE), subject to the journal’s additional requirements.

• These papers will be presented at the Summit but will not be included in the Summit proceedings published during the event.

• Instead, they will be published afterwards as part of a special issue.

Full Paper Guideline, Template & Attendance Requirement

• Template and formatting:

• Download and carefully review the HOPE Summit Full Paper Template before preparing your submission.

• Paper length: 3,500–5,500 words, excluding references.

• All papers will undergo a double-blind peer review. Ensure your manuscript is anonymised.

• Attendance requirement:

• If your paper is accepted, at least one author must register for and attend the HOPE Summit.

• Paper Presenters will have 50% discount from the full ticket price. (Max 2 presenters / one Full Paper)

Submission Steps 

• Go to EasyChair

  • Log in (or create an account if you don’t have one).

• Find the conference

  • Use this link or search for the HOPE Summit 2026 on EasyChair.

• Click “New Submission”

  • This starts the paper submission process.

• Choose the track/type

  • Example: Academic Full paper / Leading High Performance Teams

• Fill in basic information

  • Title of your paper

  • Abstract

  • Keywords (if requested)

• Add authors

  • Enter names, emails and affiliations of all authors.

  • Check spelling and order carefully.

• Upload your paper

  • Attach the document in MS Word or PDF (make sure you have used the HOPE Summit template)

• Check everything

  • Make sure the file is correct.

  • Make sure author details are correct.

• Submit

  • Click Submit or Finish.

• Save the confirmation

  • Keep the submission ID and email confirmation.

Committees

Scientific Council Leads

• Taryn Bond-Barnard, Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Stellenbosch University

• Carl Marnewick, Professor, Department of Applied Information Systems, University of Johannesburg

• Giel Bekker, Professor, Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria

Organizing committee

• Samuli Karjalainen, Event Director

Venue

The conference will be held: 18-19 November 2026, DHL Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to tarynbarnard@sun.ac.za