Annual Conference 2023
This year’s ILGA-Europe conference will take place in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, from 25 to 28 October 2023. It is organised in close cooperation with the local host organisations: Legebitra, Ljubljana Pride and TransAkcija.
Ljubljana, 2023
We are thrilled to be able to bring our movement together in one space again, knowing how important it is for us all at this moment in time, and how much we need to experience connection, solidarity and inspiration, with and from each other. And we are excited to work with our host organisations in Ljubljana, who will welcome us to Slovenia in October for what promises to be a diverse, productive and above all, enjoyable Conference for all.
Theme
This year, the Conference programme will be built around two overarching themes. Firstly, under the topic Resilience of the Movement, we will continue the vital conversation around how we keep our work sustainable, resourced, focused and strategic in an environment marked by crisis and external pulls and pressures.
Secondly, under the topic of Solidarity and Cohesion Within the Movement, we will ask ourselves how do we foster a sense of unity, collective identity and shared purpose as a movement to allow us to work effectively together towards shared goals, in the face of external challenges?
More details about the theme and programme will be shared over the summer months!
Participation
The event is open only to:
- Representatives of ILGA-Europe member organisations
- Representatives of LGBTI organisations working in Europe and Central Asia
- Allies of the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia (institutions, funders, civil society organisations) with whom ILGA-Europe is actively working.
A maximum of two individuals per organisation can attend the Annual Conference, regardless if they are self-paying participants, scholars, or project partners. We found in Sofia last year that a cap on numbers led to overall positive outcomes for the conference and participants. There was more balanced participation from across the movement, giving newer activists a chance to interreact with the more experienced among us. We were able to create a calmer space, which we know is much needed amongst many overworked activists, which facilitated more and deeper interactions and networking.
Alongside this, we are using the scholarships programme to ensure access to participants who would not otherwise have been able to be at the conference, to ensure that the ILGA-Europe Annual Conference is never a ‘closed club’, but is a constantly renewing space where activists from across the spectrum of the LGBTI movement can come together.
Registration
Registration is open until 31 July 2023 (23:59 CEST).
ILGA-Europe’s member organisations and partners have received an email with more information on the registration. If you are interested in registering for the conference, contact us here.
Scholarships
The scholarship applications are open until Monday 19 June 2023 (23:59 CEST).
Approximately 40% of the participants will be covered through ILGA-Europe’s scholarship scheme or another project funding.
While we understand the limited resources many organisations have, we ask that organisations assess their capacities and decide whether they will cover the costs of their delegate, or ask them to apply for a scholarship on behalf of the organisation. With the aim of distributing as many scholarships as possible, we encourage organisations that can partially cover the cost of their delegate (e.g. travel to/from Ljubljana or accommodation costs) to apply only for a partial scholarship. The scholarship process will be competitive and we cannot guarantee that a scholarship will be awarded.
ILGA-Europe’s member organisations and partners have received an email with more information on the scholarships application. If you are interested in registering for the conference, contact us here.
Participation fee
There is a two-tier scheme for participation fees.
To enable access and a diversity of participants, ILGA-Europe will fund a large number of participants to the conference. While some of the resources to cover this come from different strands of our funding, the scholarship scheme and different accessibility elements of the conference are partially funded from donations.
We ask you to evaluate your personal and organisational capacity and see whether you can help our work by choosing the ‘Partner fee’. The additional programmatic contribution in that tier will support the scholarship scheme and other work ILGA-Europe conducts to support the movement in Europe and Central Asia.
For guidance:
- Partner fee: recommended forgrant-makers, policy-makers, institutions NGOs
- Civil society fee: recommended for members, NGOs, LGBTI groups
You may also choose between different options for the type of accommodation.
Options with accommodation
Including opening reception and meals from Thursday to Saturday (breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee breaks)
Tier | Accommodation in single room | Accommodation in twin room |
Main conference hotel: | ||
Partner fee | 1050€ | 880€ |
Civil society fee | 900€ | 630€ |
Second hotel – in the same building as the conference venue and connected with a corridor to the main conference hotel: | ||
Partner fee | 890€ | 700€ |
Civil society fee | 740€ | 550€ |
Third Hotel – 600m away from the main conference hotel: | ||
Partner fee | 850€ | 680€ |
Civil society fee | 700€ | 530€ |
Options without accommodation
Including opening reception and meals from Thursday to Saturday (lunch, dinner, coffee breaks)
Tier | No accommodation |
Partner fee | 430€ |
Civil society fee | 280€ |
*Please note: Due to VAT treatment in Slovenia we are able to issue invoices only after the receipt of payment.
Cancellation and refund
If you have to cancel your participation, please let us know as soon as possible. Please note that if the cancellation occurs after 15 September, food and programme costs will not be reimbursed. Accommodation costs will only be reimbursed if we manage to allocate your room to another participant.
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For security reasons, we will not disclose the name of the conference venue and hotels yet.
- Main conference hotel – accommodation located directly within the Conference venue
- Second hotel – accommodation located in a building adjoining the Conference venue, internal hallway to the Conference centre
- Third hotel –  accommodation located 600m away from the Conference venue
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Important! Do not book your travel until your registration has been confirmed in writing
- Suggested arrival:Â Wednesday afternoon
- Suggested departure:Â Sunday morning
No lunch will be provided on Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, starting around 17:00, our  Connecting Spaces will offer participants the opportunity to meet around a shared identity, get to know each other in a safer space and talk about how they can come together and support each other throughout the conference. The conference will conclude with a closing dinner and party on the Saturday evening, from approximately 19:00 to 02:00.
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Information about the visa application procedure and delays can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia
If you need a visa invitation letter, you will have the opportunity to indicate it on your registration form. Please make sure to complete all the relevant fields, otherwise we will not be able to provide timely support for your visa application procedure.
Note that the participant is ultimately responsible for following the visa application process and providing the requested documentation to the authorities.
If you have any questions about visa application, please contact us at:Â ljubljana2023@ilga-europe.org