Conference Info
Plan your ICMB week
Use the sections below to keep track of logistics and the teams curating ICMB27.
Venue & Travel
Host city
Ghent, Belgium
13-17 September 2027
A compact, walkable city where medieval fabric, university life and cultural venues sit within minutes of each other.
visit.gent.be →
Book Tower campus
The Summer School is planned around Ghent University's Book Tower campus, a landmark academic area near the city centre. Final room allocation will be confirmed closer to the event.
Rozier 9, 9000 Gent — ~24 min walk from Gent-Sint-Pieters
lib.ugent.be →Travel
We strongly encourage travelling by train — Ghent is exceptionally well connected by rail across Europe.
By Train Recommended
From Brussels Airport (BRU)
Direct NMBS/SNCB train every 30 min to Gent-Sint-Pieters. Journey ~55 min. From €13.
belgiantrain.be →International connections
Eurostar from London (via Brussels, ~3 h total). Direct or one-change trains from Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne and more.
eurostar.com →Reachable by train?
See all destinations reachable within 8 hours of Ghent by rail — an interactive map of low-carbon travel options.
View on Chronotrains →Coach / Long-distance bus
Flixbus, Eurolines and Megabus connect Ghent to European destinations. Coaches stop at the Dampoort bus hub.
flixbus.com →Airport shuttle bus
Flibco operates direct buses from Brussels Airport (BRU) and Brussels-Charleroi (CRL) to Gent-Sint-Pieters station.
flibco.com →Getting around Ghent
Tram & Bus
De Lijn operates 4 tram lines and multiple bus routes across the city. Single tickets and day passes are available via the De Lijn app. Not required to circulate in Ghent.
delijn.be →Bike sharing
Ghent lists Blue-bike at major stations and shared bikes from Donkey Republic, Dott and Bolt at fixed parking locations across the city. Provider availability should be checked in the relevant app closer to the event.
stad.gent →On foot from Gent-Sint-Pieters
- Book Tower campus — ~24 min walk (1,8 km)
- City centre — ~30 min walk (2,3 km) or tram T1 or T3
Accommodation
ICMB27 PartnerPremium — Partner hotel
NH Collection Gent
Negotiated group rates for ICMB27. Book via the conference link for an extra 2% discount. Rooms held until 1 Aug 2027.
Visit website →
ICMB27 PartnerMid-range — Partner hotel
Ibis Gent Centrum Opera
Negotiated ICMB27 rates: €134 single / €153 double-twin per night (breakfast incl.). Email ruben.maes@ibis-gent.com with code "ICMB 2027". Deadline: 1 Aug 2027.
Visit website →More options
Premium
Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof
Boutique premium stay close to the city center.
Visit website →
Budget
B&B Hotel Gent Centrum
Affordable option in the pedestrian zone with modern amenities.
Visit website →
Notes
- NH Collection Gent and Ibis Gent Centrum Opera offer negotiated rates for ICMB27 participants — book early, rooms are held until 1 August 2027.
- NH Collection: click the partner link above to access conference rates plus 2% extra discount.
- Ibis Gent Opera: email ruben.maes@ibis-gent.com with code "ICMB 2027" to reserve at the negotiated rate.
- City tax (€4.40 per person per night) is excluded from all rates.
- More options will be shared via the mailing list.
Looking for more options? See Visit Gent: visit.gent.be
Sustainability
Our commitment
ICMB27 is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and making the conference week welcoming for participants with different needs and backgrounds.
- Catering: We prioritize vegetarian and locally sourced food to reduce carbon emissions.
- Materials: We are reducing printed materials and avoiding unnecessary conference swag. The program will be digital-first.
- Transport: We strongly encourage participants to travel by train. Ghent is easily accessible by rail from major European hubs.
Committees
Local Organising Committee
- Nathan Van Den Bossche (Ghent University)
- Kaat Janssens (Ghent University)
- Bruno Vanderschelden (Ghent University)
- Philippe Soubrier (Ghent University)
- Ruben Van den Bossche (Ghent University)
- Xueqing Hu (Ghent University)
- Anke Blommaert (Ghent University)
- Gentiel Acar (Ghent University)
- Tim De Kock (University of Antwerp)
International Advisory Committee
- Dr. Yasemin D Aktas — Chair (UCL, UK)
- Dr. Hector Altamirano (UCL, UK)
- Dr. Valentina Marincioni (UCL, UK)
- Dr. Jorge M. Branco (University of Minho, Portugal)
Scientific Committee
- Inge Rörig-Dalgaard (DTU, Denmark)
- Barbara Lubelli (TU Delft, Netherlands)
- Ioannis Ioannou (University of Cyprus, Cyprus)
- Paul Kloseiko (TalTech University, Estonia)
- Evy Vereecken (KU Leuven / KIK-IRPA, Belgium)
- Staf Roels (KU Leuven, Belgium)
- Hans Janssen (KU Leuven, Belgium)
- Targo Kalamees (TalTech University, Estonia)
- Rafael Ramirez (University of Minho, Portugal)
- Hartwig Künzel (Fraunhofer IBP, Germany)
- Sebastiaan Godts (KIK-IRPA, Belgium)
- Peter Cox (Carrig Conservation International, Ireland)
- Heiko Fechner (TU Dresden, Germany)
- Lorena Freitas Dutra (Université de Picardie Jules Verne, France)
- Riccardo Cacciotti (ITAM CAS, Czechia)
- Jan Carmeliet (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
- Dominique Derome (Université de Sherbrooke, Canada)
- Julia Bachinger (Holzforschung, Austria)
- David Allinson (Loughborough University, UK)
- Peter Brimblecombe (UEA Norwich, UK)
- Philip Banfill (Heriot-Watt University, UK)
- Jan Van Den Bulcke (Ghent University, Belgium)
- Marijke Steeman (Ghent University, Belgium)
- Tim De Kock (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
- Marzieh Riahinezhad (National Research Council, Canada)
- Jelle Laverge (Ghent University, Belgium)
- Nathan Van Den Bossche (Ghent University, Belgium)
- Lin Wang (National Research Council, Canada)
- Daniel Zirkelbach (Fraunhofer IBP, Germany)
- Magda Posani (Aalto University, Finland)
- Arnold Janssens (Ghent University, Belgium)
- Liselotte Deligne (Ghent University, Belgium)
- Thibaut Colinart (Université de Bretagne-Sud, France)
- Inês Flores-Colen (Técnico Lisboa, Portugal)
- Julie Desarnaud (KIK-IRPA, Belgium)
- Mosha Zhao (Tongji University, China)
- Masaru Abuku (Kindai University, Japan)
- Mari Sand Austigard (Mycoteam AS, Norway)
- Umberto Berardi (Politecnico di Bari, Italy)
- Ernst Jan de Place Hansen (Aalborg University, Denmark)
- André Desjarlais (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA)
- Dariusz Gawin (Łódź University of Technology, Poland)
- Hua Ge (Concordia University, Canada)
- Samuel Glass (USDA Forest Products Laboratory, USA)
- Simo Ilomets (TalTech University, Estonia)
- Pär Johansson (Chalmers University, Sweden)
- Tore Kvande (NTNU, Norway)
- Wahid Maref (École de technologie supérieure, Canada)
- Nathan Mendes (PUC Paraná, Brazil)
- Balázs Nagy (Budapest University of Technology, Hungary)
- Ruut Peuhkuri (Aalborg University, Denmark)
- Nuno Ramos (Porto University, Portugal)
- Hamed Saber (Jubail Industrial College, Saudi Arabia)
- John Straube (University of Waterloo, Canada)
- Martin Tenpierik (TU Delft, Netherlands)
- Berit Time (Sintef, Norway)
- Feride Şener Yılmaz (Istanbul Technical University, Turkey)
- Marco Perino (Politecnico di Torino, Italy)
- Anna Filipa Ferreira da Silva (Técnico Lisboa, Portugal)
- Juha Vinha (Tampere University, Finland)
- Hicham Johra (Sintef, Norway)