Can't attend conference but would like to get copy of papers presented There are a couple of papers to be presented at a upcoming conference that I will not be able to attend but that I am very interested in. It is my understanding that they will not be published after the conference. The field is History.

Is there an etiquette about how I could go about getting a copy of the papers or is it even appropriate for me to look for them? Should I contact the conference organisers or the authors?
If the conference publishes a conference proceedings volume than you can buy a copy or get it through your library.  You might also request copies directly from the authors.

Other conferences don't publish conference proceedings and there may be no paper corresponding to a particular conference presentation.  You can contact the authors but don't be surprised if they tell you there is no paper.