The programme for the week commences with this one-day Symposium entitled Consumer Exposure to Crop Pesticide Residues, GMOs and Natural Toxins: Putting Risks in Perspective.

This inaugural seminar forges a link between the scientific content of the Conference and the more commercial and practical aspects of the industry represented within the Trade Services Exhibition. The Trade Services Seminar will address the case for providing the necessary information on labels which meets both the statutory requirements, yet is still presented in a helpful and user-friendly manner.

Always a feature of this Conference is the presentation of new compounds and strategies for pest and disease management in temperate and tropical crops.

Specialist sessions will examine key strategic topics that will influence the management of pests and diseases in the future with an emphasis on meeting expected challenges, including those faced in Integrated Crop Management, organic farming and by use of biological control agents.

Concern for the user, consumer and the environment features strongly. Risk-benefit analyses for new and old products, new regulatory issues, resistance management and the use of transgenics for pest and disease management will be included. As will new technologies allowing the effect of new agricultural products on the environment and biodiversity to be determined.

Sociological concerns will receive special attention. Consumers and retailers can now influence agricultural practice. But who actually controls and decides upon crop protection programmes?

Similarly, the past few years have seen rapid advances in communication technology with more information than ever before being freely available to all. The benefits and drawbacks of this ‘information explosion’ will be explored.

Each year, the Conference commences with a key note address presented by a leading worldwide authority in their subject. The 27th Bawden Lecture entitled New Era, New Challenges, New Solutions will be presented Dr David Evans, R&D Director, Zeneca Agrochemicals, Fernhurst, Haslemere, UK

This year's BCPC Conference will consist of:

• 21 platform sessions. These consist of invited papers presented by some of the world's leading authorities in their subject areas. Further papers, offered by individuals and carefully selected by the Programme Committee which compliment the session topics are included.
• 9 poster presentation sessions. Presented as two unique sessions, the content of the poster sessions is deliberately designed to enhance the material presented in the platform presentations. Poster authors are available during the sessions for discussion and debate.
• 2 evening discussion sessions. Each evening a topical, and often controversial subject, covered within the Conference is selected for open discussion. This allows involvement by delegates in what is often a very lively debate.

Full details of all these sessions can be viewed by day:

• Tuesday 14 November
• Wednesday 15 November
• Thursday 16 November

The 60 stand Trade Services Exhibition is a unique gathering of commercial organisations who supply goods and services to the global crop protection industry. This exhibition is open throughout the Conference and can be visited by any visitor to Brighton.

The 20 stand Scientific and Educational Exhibition includes exhibitors not only from the academic world, but also representatives from the national and international crop protection trade associations.

With such a large global audience at this event, numerous promotional opportunities exist for commercial organisations to raise their profile. A number of attractive sponsorship packages are available, as well as hospitality suites to reserve.
Find out more.

In response to requests from delegates, the BCPC Conference 2000 will herald the launch of several features new to this event. New for 2000 are:

• all aspects of the BCPC Conference - Pests & Diseases 2000, the exhibitions and satellite events will be held in one central location - the Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel.
• the Conference programme has been carefully constructed so as to ensure delegates can pursue their own interest themes.
• the division of the programme into discrete concurrent platform and poster presentations.
• the introduction of two sessions dedicated to poster presentations only. These will be between 16.00-17.30 on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November.
• Extended hours of access to the Trade Services and the Scientific & Educational Exhibitions from 13.00 on Monday 13 November.
• the introduction of the Trade Services Seminar, designed with a more commercial audience in mind.
• the opportunity for all visitors to use the fully functional facilities of the BCPC Cyber Café. Personal emails can be sent and received.

Delegates can register for any, or all, of the events at the BCPC Conference - Pests & Diseases 2000 by using the secure Delegate Registration Form.