Antwerp was chosen as it can be reached form all areas of the globe. It has its own international airport and can be reached very easily by train or bus from Brussels Zaventem Airport or Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Amsterdam in particular is served from almost every major city worldwide. For those travelling by train, the zoo is located next door to Antwerp’s main railway station. The zoo has, as well as animals,  excellent facilities for holding conferences. Details and pictures can be found at https://www.aroomwithazoo.com

IGDSS2026 will start early in the evening of Sunday 19^th April 2026 when delegates will be able to register and there will be the usual welcome evening event. Oral presentations will be given all day on Monday and Tuesday, then also on Wednesday morning; the symposium will finish mid-day Wednesday. On the Wednesday afternoon there will be a meeting of EW-GDS which everyone is welcome to attend. The conference dinner will take place on Tuesday evening, at a venue to be decided.

As usual, we will have three invited speakers sharing their experiences in our field of GDS. Prof Dr. Annemie Bogaerts (Europe), Dr, Guanghui Niu (Asia), Martin Kasik (US) will be the speakers this year.

For the less experienced, we will be awarding the traditional Payling Prize to the best presentation from a young contributor.

The city of Antwerp has many attractions to interest non-participating partners who may accompany delegates. These include Museums, Medieval fortress , Art Galleries, Antwerp Zoo, the cathedral, many different churches, and magnificent architecture as well as river walks and extensive modern shopping areas. Non-precipitants will be able to attend the welcome evening and symposium dinner, a reasonable charge will be made.

Registration is now open (click here) so please do not delay, make sure that you reserve your place. If you register before the end of 2025, you will be eligible for the early bird rate of €450. Students and early stage researchers will be €225 and if they have an oral presentation accepted then they will receive a further 50% discount.

A copy of the leaflet announcing this symposium can be found by clicking here

If you are new to this event and would like to know more about it, then go to the IGDSS Meetings tab on this site – you will be able to see details of all previous events. If you have any questions feel free to contact any of the Organising Committee