Limassol
May 2025
Persuasive Technology
The 20th International Conference on Persuasive Technology was successfully held in Limassol, Cyprus, from May 5 to 7, 2025, bringing together a global community of scholars and professionals who are advancing the field of persuasive technologies. A total of 52 academics, researchers, students, and practitioners from 18 countries, including Qatar, Australia, and Canada, gathered to explore how digital technologies can positively influence human attitudes and behaviors in areas such as health, sustainability, education, and well-being.
Persuasive Technology is a thriving interdisciplinary research field focused on designing, developing, and evaluating interactive systems that aim to support people in achieving their goals through persuasion, rather than coercion or deception. The technologies studied and developed in this community are aimed at enriching users’ lives by encouraging behavioral change through ethical, user-centered approaches.
The conference was hosted at the St Raphael Resort and Marina, a stunning five-star hotel by the Mediterranean Sea, offering an ideal setting for networking, academic dialogue, and inspiration. The beautiful coastal city of Limassol welcomed participants with its vibrant blend of modern energy and historic charm. The welcome reception, held in the serene garden of the venue, allowed attendees to reconnect and create new bonds while enjoying local canapés, Cypriot drinks, and the magnificent sea view.
The conference featured a strong academic program that included high-quality paper presentations, discussions, and the 13th International Workshop on Behavior Change Support Systems (BCSS 2025), further enriching the program with its focus on designing systems that encourage meaningful, long-term behavioral change.
This year’s topics reflected the depth and diversity of the field, with sessions on Gamification for persuasion, Values and ethics in persuasive technology, Detecting persuasive strategies in social media posts, and Optimizing engagement with persuasive systems. These themes underscore the importance of designing technologies that are not only effective but also responsible and ethical.
One of the highlights of PERSUASIVE 2025 was the keynote presentation by Professor Philip Cash (Northumbria University), who offered valuable insights on the processes and challenges involved in developing persuasive interventions. His keynote, titled “Exploring the processes and practices of persuasive intervention development: Perspectives, challenges, and opportunities”, sparked engaging discussions and inspired future research directions.
Evangelos Karapanos (Cyprus University of Technology) and George A. Papadopoulos (University of Cyprus) served as Conference Chairs, ensuring the smooth operation of the event and the high academic quality of the program.
Accepted full papers from the main track of the conference will be published by Springer in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series, while other accepted contributions will appear in Springer’s Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS) series. Moreover, extended versions of the best and selected papers will be invited for submission to a special issue on Persuasive Technology 2025 in the journal Behaviour and Information Technology, published by Taylor & Francis.
Socially, the conference allowed participants to explore the city of Limassol, one of Cyprus’s most lively and picturesque destinations. A guided tour of the Limassol Marina and Old Town allowed guests to experience the charm of traditional streets, bustling squares, local artisan shops, the medieval Limassol Castle, and the city’s rich coastal heritage. The conference dinner, hosted at a traditional Cypriot tavern, brought everyone together to enjoy authentic local cuisine, music, and dancing—a true celebration of Mediterranean hospitality.
The organizers extend their sincere thanks to the sponsors Springer, LNCS, and CCIS for their support of the conference and the field of persuasive technology.
Event operations and logistics were supported by EasyConferences, which provided the online registration system, the abstract submission platform, and comprehensive conference coordination services.
As PERSUASIVE 2025 comes to a close, the international community continues to grow in strength and impact, pushing forward the boundaries of how technology can support people in making positive changes in their lives, ethically, effectively, and sustainably.