Welcome message

Although we are planning to return in-person in 2022, we want to keep some of the welcome innovation from our virtual Congress which you told us that you valued so much. We will be recording content from the Congress to enable attendees to catch up on sessions they have missed or things they want to watch again. We are also planning on offering poster presenters the welcome opportunity to be published again in a special supplement of BJPsych Open. In addition to make the most of meeting again, we are revamping our social and networking programme. 

Edinburgh will be our first face-to-face Congress in three years and a welcome chance to get out and about again. Edinburgh is steeped in history and culture and is the perfect location to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of a diverse and vibrant city. Whether this is your first time visiting or 100th, there are several fascinating stories to discover.

Over the four days of the Congress, you will as ever, have the opportunity to attend lectures from up to 17 world renowned keynote speakers and choose from over 70 cutting edge sessions. The programme will feature the best of international academic psychiatry, those with lived experience, families and opinion leaders in mental health from the social and political sphere. We hope to have the programme available at the beginning of next year, so do keep an eye on our website for when that is released.

There is still a chance to be a part of this amazing programme. We will be opening the call for abstracts for poster presentations very soon. The top scoring abstracts will be selected for Rapid Fire Presentation, giving you the opportunity to present your research to psychiatrists from across the world. All poster presenters will also be given the chance to have their abstracts published in a special supplement of the British Journal of Psychiatry Open.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you all again in person next year. We are working hard to ensure that our return to a face-to-face Congress makes the most of the opportunities it presents, and it is our most inspiring Congress yet. This year we have extended the early bird deadline to the 31 March, to give you more time to take advantage of our lower rates. Bookings will open at the beginning of December; remember we have sold out in previous years so book early to avoid disappointment.

We hope to see you in Edinburgh next June. 

Adrian James, President

Regi Alexander, Associate Dean for Advanced Learning and Conferences

Ian Jones and Lade Smith, Congress Co-chair