Frequently Asked Questions

Registration

How do I register?

• Earlybird tickets are available from 09:00 (BST), Monday 10 July to 17:00 (BST), Friday 27 October*
• Standard tickets are available from 17:00 (BST), Friday 27 October to 17:00 (BST), Monday 13 November**
• Virtual tickets are available from 09:00 (BST), Monday 10 July to 17:00 (BST), Monday 13 November

In-person tickets	Earlybird	Standard
BES Member	£410	£480
BES Concession Member***	£195	£260
Non-Member	£580	£710
Day Rate	£210	£280
Accompanying person****	£115	N/A
Discount Parent Registration*****	£210	N/A

Virtual Tickets	Cost
BES Member	£140
BES Concession Member***	£90
Non-Member	£250

*All presenters must register by 17:00 (BST), Friday 27 October in order to confirm their place in the programme.

** Please note that registration may close early should the event reach capacity before the standard registration deadline.

*** Concession Member is a BES member-only rate and includes students and retired members.

**** If you are attending the meeting and have a partner, or other person who does not wish to attend the scientific programme but would like to come along to the social programme, this rate covers all lunches, coffee breaks, poster sessions and the welcome mixer.

***** If you are coming along to the meeting with children and both parents/carers wish to attend the scientific programme, we understand that half of your time as a parent will be looking after your child so offer a discounted registration rate for both carers. Similarly, if you are attending as a single carer and will be looking after your child for part of the time, you can register at this rate.

How do I book a pre-conference workshop or the conference social event?

Booking for pre-conference workshops and the conference social event will open at the same time as general delegate tickets in July. If you would like to add on the workshops or conference social event to your event booking at a later date, you can do this through your MyBES account.

How do I cancel my registration?

Get in touch with events@britishecologicalsociety.org. Refunds are issued in accordance with our cancellation policy.

What is your cancellation policy?

• If cancellation is received before 17:00 (BST), Friday 27 October, the full registration fee will be given.
• If cancellation is received after 17:00 (BST), Friday 27 October, but before 17:00 (BST), Monday 13 November, 50% of the registration fee will be refunded.
• No refunds will be given after 17:00 (BST), Monday 13 November.

Can I request an invitation letter for my VISA application?

We can provide invitation letters to those attending our Annual Meeting and attendance certificates after the meeting. We do not get involved in the VISA process other than providing these letters. Invitation letters will only be provided to those who have submitted an abstract and registered for the event.

Applicants must also provide us with:

• A scan of their valid in-date passport that contains a photo of them.
• An academic CV and the correspondence address for the letter.
• A letter of support from their institute, saying they support the delegate attending the meeting.

This must be carried out in good time before the meeting, “last minute” requests will not be processed. We should forewarn delegates requesting VISA letters that a Skype/phone call MAY be required in some circumstances.

Can I pay via invoice?

We are only able to offer invoices in exceptional circumstances and only up to 2 weeks before the earlybird registration deadline to ensure these can be processed in time. Payment via invoice will incur an admin fee of £15.

Can I book a group?

Group bookings of up to 6 can be made online and paid by card.

Abstracts and presentation

When can I submit an abstract?

The call for abstracts will open in July and close at 17:00 (BST), Wednesday 6 September.

When will I learn if my abstract has been accepted?

Decisions on all submitted abstracts will be sent w/e 29 September. Those accepted will then need to register for the event by 17:00 (BST), Friday 27 October in order to confirm their place in the programme.

When will I learn the date and time of my presentation?

Presenters will be informed about the date and time of their presentations in November. When submitting an abstract please ensure you are available from the 13-15 December 2023 as we are not able to accommodate individual requests to swap presentation times.

Thematic Session and Workshop Proposals

When will workshop/thematic session proposals open?

The call for proposals to run a thematic session or workshop at BES2023 is now closed.

All proposals will now be evaluated by the BES Events Committee. Please note that the selection process is competitive, and we receive more applications than we can accommodate in the programme.

Conference grants

When will applications for conference grants open?

We will be opening applications for conference grants after decisions on submitted abstracts have been sent out. To find out more please visit our travel grants page.

The Venue

Where is BES2023 being held?

We are delighted to be returning to ICC Belfast for this meeting and would like to thank Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and Visit Belfast for their support of the BES Annual Meeting 2023.

If you would like to make the most of your visit to Northern Ireland you can find out more at Visit Belfast‘s website.

Where can I find accessibility information for the convention centre?

You can find detailed information about disability access at ICC Belfast on their website. Please get in touch with events@britishecologicalsociety.org with any specific requests or questions regarding access or special requirements.