Joining instructions and FAQs

Joining instructions

On the first morning you arrive at the conference (whether this is Wednesday, Thursday or Friday), you will need to go straight to the registration desk at The Brighton Centre to collect your name badge. Name badges will be required for entry to conference venues, so it is essential that your wear your lanyard with the name badge attached at all times. The registration desk will be open from 8am to 6pm on Wednesday and 8.30am to 6pm on Thursday and Friday.

Should you wish to avoid the inevitable first morning queues, we are also offering a Tuesday night registration slot on Tuesday 2 June from 5-8pm at The Brighton Centre.

Timings and locations of all panels, roundtables and other sessions can be found in the conference programme. There will also be QR codes linking to the programme located near the registration desk.  If you have any questions, please ask the registration desk team or help desk. We will have several conference ambassadors located around the conference venues wearing orange t-shirts who will be able to help.

Maps and rooms

This year’s conference is located across three venues – the Brighton Centre, the Maldron Hotel and Doubletree By Hilton Brighton Metropole. These venues are within five minutes walk of each other. To help you find the right building and room please download the area map and list of rooms/locations below.

Accommodation and travel

All information about accommodation and travel can be found on our travel and accommodation page.

What else is there to do in Brighton? Where can I get a drink? Which restaurants would you recommend?

Our conference team from the University of Sussex have put together a short Brighton food, drink and live music guide covering some of these questions. You can also find out more on the Visit Brighton website.

FAQs

Where can I find the conference programme?

Click through to view the programme. You can also generate and save or print your own personalised schedule.

What does it mean if an author has an asterisk by their name in the programme?

This means the individual is a co-author of the paper but they will not be present at the conference.

How long will it take to move between conference venues?

The three conference venues – the Brighton Centre, Maldron Hotel and Doubletree By Hilton Brighton Metropole - are located within five minutes walk from each other. However, you should also leave time to find the correct room at the next venue if you are unfamiliar with the layout. There are downloadable maps/room information further up this page.

There are a few events located outside of the main venues - for example the public event on Thursday evening and the Environment and Climate Politics Working Group sea check. Should you have any questions about finding venues please go to the conference help desk at the Brighton Centre.

I'm presenting or speaking at a panel, roundtable or other conference session, do I need to arrive early?

If you’re an active participant in a conference session, please try to arrive a minimum of 10 minutes before the advertised start time. This will allow you time to meet the other participants and the chair, and to ensure your equipment is working, such as any PowerPoint slides you wish to use.

Can I use PowerPoint slides, video, music etc?

Each room at the conference will be equipped with a screen and projector that speakers can use. You will need your own laptop or similar, and we advise that you speak to fellow panellists beforehand to arrange using one laptop between you. There will be wifi throughout the venues that is suitable for browsing but not streaming or downloading. For peace of mind, you may wish to bring any files or PowerPoint slides on a memory stick in case of disruption to the internet connection, since this cannot be guaranteed.

Please note that in most venues the facilities provided for connecting to laptops are limited to HDMI cables. If your laptop doesn’t have a HDMI port, or you are using a Mac, then you will either need to provide your own cable, or arrange to share with another panellist. The Doubletree By Hilton Brighton Metropole provide a remote dongle to connect to the screen, which is USB‑C compatible in all meeting rooms, and The Maldron have some adapters if you have a Mac with USB-C port.

If you wish to play music or a video you will be limited to your computer’s own speakers in most conference rooms, unless arranged in advance.

Will there be anyone who can help me if I have technical issues while presenting?

Speak to one of the volunteers in orange t-shirts should you require help and they will direct you to the correct person. However, we recommend you set up and test your PowerPoint slides or other materials prior to your panel session to make sure they work.

Do the conference venues have wifi?

Yes, all conference venues have wifi designed for browsing the internet or answering emails. The details are as follows:

• The Brighton Centre – TBC shortly
• The Maldron – Use the network ‘Maldron Hotel Brighton’. There is no password required.
• Doubletree By Hilton Brighton Metropole - Select the Hilton Honors network, click ‘I have a promotional code’, and use VIP as the code.

Is there an area where I can sit and work whilst I’m not attending panels?

Yes, in the Brighton Centre there will be several tables and chairs in the exhibition hall, as well as seating in the East and West Bars (first floor). You may also find furniture and seating dotted around the rest of the venue.

Where will lunch be served?

Lunch will available at the Brighton Centre at 12.15pm each day of the conference. There will be serving stations around the foyer on the ground floor, which also serves as the exhibition hall.

Where can I network or meet people?

On the evening of Tuesday 2 June there will be a meet up for postgraduates and first-time conference attendees at The Mesmerist pub (see conference programme). Delegates will be able to purchase drinks and food whilst meeting fellow delegates. 

There are scheduled refreshment and lunch breaks each day (see conference programme for times). The refreshment breaks will be in and around the main foyer in the Brighton Centre. The conference reception at the Brighton Centre in Auditorium 1 on Wednesday evening is also a good place to meet other delegates. If you are part of a working group, they may be holding a meeting or AGM (see our featured events page for more details).

I want to see a particular speaker, how do I find out when/where are they speaking?

The easiest way to find a particular speaker is to find them on our speaker list which is alphabetical. Alternatively, you can go to the conference programme and use ‘Ctrl’ plus ‘f’ to open a search box where you can type a name or other keyword.

Is there a quiet space?

Yes, the ‘Respite’ area on the ground floor of the Brighton Centre is our designated quiet space. Please ensure you are respectful of this when passing by the space.

Is a prayer room available?

Yes, ‘Office 7’ located on the third floor of the Brighton Centre will be available for prayer on all three days of the conference.

Is a nursing area available?

Yes, the ‘Baby changing’ bathroom located on the ground floor of the Brighton Centre will have an area with a chair for nursing on all three days of the conference.

Is there an all-gender toilet?

There are all-gender toilets in the Brighton Centre.

The Maldron Hotel and Doubletree By Hilton Brighton Metropole have male, female and accessible bathrooms.

Is there a cloakroom, or somewhere I can leave bags, coats and other items during the conference?

There is a cloakroom facility with hangers available in the Brighton Centre on the ground floor for your use. 

However, the Brighton Centre have recommended a no‑luggage policy throughout the conference. This approach helps to streamline entry and aligns with UK Protect Duty guidance. It is designed to ensure your safety and uphold the highest standards of security at the Brighton Centre. We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all events.

There are numerous luggage storage solutions around the city. You can find information on the VisitBrighton Convention Bureau page. Alternatively, most hotels can accommodate luggage storage prior and post departure.

Conference roles

Please download our handy guide to conference roles, particularly if you are chairing a session.

Extra information for conference chairs

If you’ve chaired panels and roundtables before, you’ll know that one of the key responsibilities of the chair is time management. It’s essential that all sessions finish on time at BISA 2026 to avoid disruption to the next block of panels and roundtables and to ensure there is sufficient time to travel between locations. Please download and read the guide to conference roles above well in advance of the conference.

If you’ve not chaired a panel or roundtable previously, you may wish to find out more about the role. We recommend the following blog posts.

• European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) - How to chair a scientific conference session (and not look like a fool!)
• ECPR - The Role of Panel Chairs and Discussants
• Ten Simple Rules for Chairing a Scientific Session - PMC.

Should I get in touch with the speakers for the event I’m chairing in advance?

Please do! On a practical level, this allows for speaking time limits and order of appearance to be decided ahead of time, while also facilitating introductions before the conference, which helps panel participants when they prepare their presentations in advance. It is also a good opportunity to communicate the deadline to panellists for submitting their paper to the discussant (if your panel has one).

Unfortunately, a limitation of our conference and events software is that it does not provide chairs with a list of the contact details of panel participants. In most cases you will be able to easily find participants' email addresses through a web search of their name and affiliation. If you have difficulty in finding contact details for any of the participants on your panel, please contact the conference team at conferences@bisa.ac.uk and we will be happy to assist.

Do I need to say anything specific to kick off the event?

Please let everyone know the title of the panel/roundtable so that people are sure they are in the correct room.

Withdrawal and refunds

I want to withdraw from the conference and have not registered/paid to attend. How can I do this?

If you can no longer attend the conference, please email conferences@bisa.ac.uk putting 'Withdraw' clearly in the subject of the email. We ask that you notify the conference programme chair as early as possible so we can make adjustments to the programme as necessary.

I want to withdraw from the conference but have already registered/paid to attend. Can I have a refund?

You will still need to let us know as per the previous question, however whether you are able to claim a refund is dependent on when you registered. Our policy, as stated at the point of sale, is that you may claim a full refund for 14 days following payment. Please email our office: office@bisa.ac.uk. After this period no refunds can be processed.