The 14th conference of the World Mycotoxin Forum

REGISTRATION

The registration for the 14th conference of The World Mycotoxin Forum^® is open.

WELCOME RECEPTION

The Welcome Reception – sponsored by R-Biopharm – will be held at ‘Chocolate Nation’, World’s largest Belgian chocolate museum in the centre of Antwerp. This free event includes drinks, snacks, and a tour of the museum. Take a magical chocolate trip, get to taste velvety Belgian chocolate and feel like ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ (Roald Dahl). The Welcome Reception provides an excellent opportunity to network, meet old friends and colleagues as well as to make new contacts.

When: Sunday 8 October 2023, 18:30 – 20:00
Where: You can find ‘Chocolate Nation’ opposite Antwerp Central Station on Astridplein, next to Hotel Radisson Blue. Address details: Koningin Astridplein 7, Antwerp

Programme

Full conference programme available

The World Mycotoxin Forum^® announces its full conference programme, probably the best ever! It can be downloaded HERE.

Workshops

The following companies will present workshops at WMFmeetsBelgium (for more information, view HERE):

R-Biopharm / Trilogy: Managing the matrix mayhem
Gold Standard Diagnostics: Raw materials shortage and mycotoxins risk assessment: the role of screening and screening validation
dsm-firmenich / Romer Labs: Unmasking Mycotoxins: From Detection to Detoxification

WMF Young Scientists Forum

The challenges of conducting mycotoxin research
How to connect science to practical mycotoxin mitigation strategies

During this year's Young Scientist Forum, Selko invites young scientists, researchers, and students to share experiences and learn from each other. In today's fast-changing and evolving industry, it can be a challenge to define research needs and connecting them to 'real' scenarios and creating cost-effective solutions for grain and animal producers around the world.

How to find the right model for your research? Which biomarkers to apply? In vitro or in vivo? Single or multi-mycotoxin, or mycotoxins combined with other environmental challenges? What are emerging technologies and how can they improve mycotoxin research in the future? These and other questions will be discussed during the informal brainstorm session, while enjoying some snacks and drinks. We hope to connect business needs with science and invite those young of age as well as young at heart to join in.

Conference dinner

The conference dinner takes place on Tuesday 10 October in the Marble Hall adjacent to the ZOO. Before dinner, you will have the opportunity to discover Antwerp ZOO, one of the oldest zoos in the world, established on 21 July 1843. More details to follow.

CALL FOR POSTERS

Interested participants from universities, research institutes and industry are strongly encouraged to submit abstracts for posters. Particularly students/young scientists are encouraged to submit abstracts.

Important deadlines

Submission deadline for oral presentations: 15 March 2023 Expired!
Submission deadline for poster presentations: 1 September 2023

Rules for submission

Abstracts must be sent to: WMF[at]bastiaanse-communication.com
Abstracts must be submitted in Microsoft Word and shall not exceed 400 words.
The title of the abstract should clearly define the work presented.
Don’t forget to mention the names of the authors (limited to max. 10) and their affiliation(s).
The advisory committees will determine whether the abstract will be accepted for a poster presentation.
Submission of an abstract acknowledges the author’s acceptance for the abstract to be published in the book of abstracts
Presenting authors must be registered and paid participants.

Speed presentations

A few posters will be selected for short oral presentations (‘speed presentations’) in the scientific programme.

Poster presentation

The World Mycotoxin Forum^® has established the Best Poster Award to honour a conference participant for the presentation of a poster. The winner of the Best Poster Award will be selected by voting for the poster that the delegates believe to be the best in its content and layout.

Posters will be displayed throughout the conference. Poster size: A0 portrait (841 mm x 1189 mm). Appropriate means of affixing the poster to the poster board will be supplied on site.

The World Mycotoxin Forum^® – 14th conference

The 14th conference of The World Mycotoxin Forum^® – WMFmeetsBelgium – takes place in Antwerp, Belgium, 9-11 October 2023. The conference is organized as an in-person event, and online participation is not possible.

WMFmeetsBelgium will offer an excellent way to network, share ideas, and formulate recommendations and conclusions on how to close knowledge gaps, including:

Presentations and discussions in plenary meetings and parallel sessions
Poster sessions
Young scientist sessions
Company pitches, case studies, and industry updates covering a wide range of topics
Workshops and demonstrations
A concurrent instrument/manufacturers exhibition providing information on equipment, products, and services.

The conference chairs and the committee members are looking forward to meeting you.

COMMITTEES

General Conference Chairs

Prof. Rudolf Krska
Department IFA-Tulln, BOKU Vienna, Austria

Prof. Chris Elliott
The Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland

Local Conference Chairs

Prof. Sarah De Saeger and Prof. Marthe De Boevre
Centre of Excellence in Mycotoxicology and Public Health, Ghent University, Belgium

Local Committee

Dr Tess Goessens, Dr Celine Meerpoel, Dr María Agustina Pavicich, Dr Roger Pero-Gascon and Dr Esther Derycke
Ghent University, Belgium

International Advisory Committee

Prof. Chiara Dall’Asta, University of Parma, Italy
Dr Johan De Meester, Cargill R&D Centre Europe, Belgium
Prof. Hans-Ulrich Humpf, University of Münster, Germany
Prof. Yang Liu, Foshan University, China
Dr Fernando B. Luciano, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Brazil
Prof. Angel Medina-Vaya, Cranfield University, UK
Dr Monique de Nijs, Wageningen Food Safety Research, the Netherlands
Dr Isabelle Oswald, INRAE, France
Dr Lien Thi Kim Phan, Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry, Vietnam
Dr Kanniah Rajasekaran, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USA
Prof. Michele Suman, Barilla, Italy
Dr Sheryl Tittlemier, Canadian Grain Commission, Canada
Dr Neriman Yilmaz, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Dr Guangtao Zhang, Mars, China

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

The World Mycotoxin Forum^® offers various business opportunities at the conference in Antwerp, including sponsoring and exhibiting. Parallel to the conference a commercial exhibition will be organised in which presentations of services and products are given. Participants of the conference have ample opportunity to visit the exhibition during the various breaks.

Reasons why becoming a sponsor and/or exhibitor is a good marketing strategy:

Communicate your message to a highly qualified scientific and expert audience
Increase visibility in focused markets
Highlight your company’s expertise
Generate new sales leads
Network with specialists
Build new partnerships
Find out about new research being undertaken

The brochure with the various business opportunities can be downloaded HERE.

LOCATION & VENUE

Antwerp

Antwerp is an important cultural and trading centre, and home to more than 170 different nationalities. With more than 500,000 residents, Antwerp is Belgium’s second most populous city.

As the city with one of the most exciting restaurant scenes, train station and ZOO in the world, Antwerp holds many more trump cards such as Rubens, Plantin, diamonds, chocolate, fashion, museums, and Belgian beers.

A Room with a ZOO

A Room with a ZOO – Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp – is a state-of-the-art conference centre located in the heart of the city, next to Central Station and Antwerp ZOO. A Room with a ZOO offers a unique blend of modern infrastructure in a historical setting.

A Room with a ZOO is part of the Antwerp ZOO Society. Profits of congresses and events immediately support efforts on cherishing nature through animal welfare, education and awareness building. Your participation in WMFmeetsBelgium in A Room with a ZOO contributes directly to nature conservation. In A Room with a ZOO, your engagement cherishes nature.

Regardless of how you arrive in Antwerp, the city centre is always within easy reach. Proximity is key – just hop off the train and enter A Room with a ZOO within a matter of minutes. There is also a direct 34-minute rail connection between Brussels International Airport and Antwerp. Conveniently located at the crossroads of European motorways, Antwerp can be easily reached by car and coach.

ACCOMMODATION

Participants are responsible for making their own accommodation arrangements. Please note: October is a very busy period in Antwerp, so you are advised to book early to secure your accommodation.

Antwerp Convention Bureau is the official housing agent for this event. They have arranged special room rates at 7 different hotels, all conveniently located within close walking distance of the conference venue. For more details on the hotels, please click HERE.

And if you don’t see your preferred hotel available online, there are of course also other hotels available in Antwerp.

Alert! Be Aware of Housing Scams
Accommodation bookings should be made via the web link above or directly by yourself. Please note: you may receive an email from agencies offering the booking of hotel accommodation. This is a scam. We have no agreement with any agency.

Fee

The fee includes the welcome reception, the book of abstracts, lunch, coffee/tea, and drinks/snacks as announced in the timetable. The registration fee does not include hotel accommodation.

According to EU legislation, the services in respect of admission to cultural, artistic, sporting, scientific, educational, entertainment or similar events, are subjected to the VAT (Value Added Tax) of the place where the event actually takes place. As the event will take place in Belgium, the service invoiced to you is subjected to Belgian VAT (21%). See, at this regard, articles 53 and 54 of Council Directive 2006/112/EC.

	Students ^1,2	Universities	Regular	Special ³
Early Bird Fee Expired! registered AND paid before 1 April 2023	~~€ 425~~	~~€ 625~~	~~€ 835~~	~~€ 500~~
Fee registered AND paid before 9 October 2023	€ 525	€ 795	€ 985	€ 535
Conference dinner⁴	€ 95	€ 95	€ 95	€ 95

Bachelor, Master and PhD students only; postdocs are not considered 'students'.
Registration will only be accepted if the Conference Registration Form is accompanied by (i) a proof of studentship and (ii) an abstract for a poster presentation; otherwise, registration will be denied.
Every paying participant (except for registered students) may be accompanied by one participant for the special registration fee, provided that the following conditions are met: (i) the paying participant and the accompanying participant are employed with the same company/organisation at the same location; and (ii) the paying participant and the accompanying participant register and pay (with ONE invoice) at the same time.
Tuesday evening 10 October 2023.

Cancellation policy

Refunds, minus € 250 administrative charge, will be made for cancellations received up to 28 August 2023. Cancellations are only valid if notice is received in writing. For cancellations made after 28 August 2023, no refunds will be paid. However, a participant may designate a substitute delegate.

ABOUT THE WORLD MYCOTOXIN FORUM®

The World Mycotoxin Forum^® is the leading international meeting series on mycotoxins dedicated to assembling the world’s best minds across the spectrum of integrated strategies ensuring the safety and security of the food and feed supply chain. The World Mycotoxin Forum® brings together a holistic conference programme covering the latest issues in mycotoxin management and is targeted at everyone working in the mycotoxin space – researchers, food and feed industry, laboratories, policy makers, and enforcement agencies from around the world.