Academic identity as a nomadic collage of places. Visual ethnography of the conference locations as determinants of identity development

Introduction
Understanding how a sense of place shapes identity construction is important as traditional academic events organized worldwide give way to new virtual and hybrid formats. 
Features of a place contribute to traveler's experience. A journey creates space for reshaping a sense of self and a context for identity change. There is a link between the embodied experience of place infused with added meaning, and a journey, which becomes a vehicle for transformation. Perception of places may generate a sense of connection to something larger through sensual and affective experiences.
Goals
The project asks how a sense of place shapes identity construction. It presents identity as a nomadic collage of places through the set of temporal images, and as a dynamic construct seen as a nomadic journey where research orientations evolve. It discusses different applications of (auto)ethnography within the literature on journeys and event experiences and considers the application of multi-sited, nomadic inquiry based on visual data to the analysis of identity construction.
Method
Using a theoretical framework of social identity and place identity, this project presents a multi-sited, visual ethnography consisting of reflexive thematic analysis of the conference themes’ embodiment in locations with elements of auto-ethnography.
Conference locations in which the author participated over the years (EGOS, EURAM, AOM) are analyzed. Photos are used as visual place identity representations. Image analysis follows interpretive engagement technique with elements of Grounded Visual Pattern Analysis within a framework of strategic, dialogical and documenting approach to visual data.  
Expected results and conclusions
I expect to demonstrate how experiences of conference locations become an embodiment for academic identity development. Results may help to show what is being lost in identity processes when the aspect of a changing physical location is eliminated.