Welcome
Dear colleagues, welcome to Slovenia!
The European Veterinary Congress on Behavioural Medicine and Animal Welfare (EVCBMAW 2026) will take place on 1–2 October 2026 at Hotel Mons, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
This two-day international event brings together experts, researchers, clinicians, students, and policymakers interested in animal behaviour, veterinary behavioural medicine, animal welfare, ethics and law. Following the highly successful 2025 congress in Helsinki, the 2026 edition will gather a strong international audience from across Europe.
We are also delighted to invite industry partners to join EVCBMAW 2026 as sponsors. The congress is the leading European scientific meeting in its field, offering exceptional visibility and opportunities for collaboration with veterinarians, researchers, students, and key stakeholders in animal welfare and behavioural medicine.
The scientific programme will feature four plenary lectures covering Behaviour Medicine, Welfare, Ethics and Law, and Veterinary Forensics. Alongside plenary sessions, the congress will include a vibrant poster section and 54 short oral presentations selected from submitted abstracts, representing both major scientific tracks. Social events such as the Welcome Reception, Awards Ceremony and Gala Evening will offer additional opportunities for networking and collaboration.
Ožbalt Podpečan (Organizing Committee)
General information
Badges
We kindly request that all participants and exhibitors wear their badges throughout the congress. Access to plenary and parallel sessions will be granted only with your personal name badge.
Certificate of attendance
Following the congress, participants will receive an email with a link to a brief satisfaction survey to provide feedback on the event’s organization.
After completing the survey, you will be able to download your Certificate of Attendance.
Organising Secretariat
Wednesday 2 October
8.00 AM – 6.00 PM
Thursday 3 October
8.00 AM – 6.00 PM
Friday 4 October
8.00 AM – 6.00 PM
Slide Center
Oral presentations and speakers, poster teasers
Presentations should be provided on a USB stick no later than two hours prior to the start of the session.
Please go to the Slide Centre located at the Reception desk in the lobby with your USB stick. There will be a technical support team available to assist you upon request.
IMPORTANT: please note that it will not be possible to use your laptop for your presentation or upload your slides during the session in the auditorium.
Welcome reception and Congress Dinner
Welcome reception
Thursday 3 October (upon registration) – from 6.00 PM
Attendance to the welcome reception is free but registration is needed.
ASIEM – 6 rue Albert de Lapparent, 75007 Paris
*From 6pm until midnight.
Please kindly note that there is no shuttle service provided at the end of the welcome reception.
Congress Dinner
Friday 4 October (upon registration) – 7.30 PM
Le Petit Boutary – 16 rue Jacquemont, 75017 Paris
Participants to the Congress dinner are provided with the mention “Congress Dinner – 4 October” on the badge.
*From 7.30PM until midnight. Please kindly ensure to arrive on time at the venue.
How to get to the restaurant from ASIEM?
– Walk to “Segur” metro station (4 mins walk from ASIEM)
– Get on the metro line 10 towards “Gare d’Austerlitz”
– Get off at “Duroc” station
– Get on the metro line 13 towards Saint-Denis-Université or Asnières – Gennevilliers – Les Courtilles
– Get off at “La Fourche” station- Walk 4 mins to get to 16 rue Jacquemont, 75017 Paris
Committees
Local organization committee
Ožbalt Podpečan
- National Centre for Animal Welfare, Veterinary Faculty of University of Ljubljana
Scientific Committee
University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty
University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty
University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty
University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty
University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty
University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty
University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty
University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty
Programme
Program will be available soon.
Miiamaaria Kujala
“One health and one welfare in interactions of pets and their humans”
Dr. Miiamaaria Kujala is an adjunct professor (docent) of comparative cognitive neuroscience and Academy Research Fellow of the Research Council of Finland. She received a PhD on the brain basis of human social cognition from the University of Helsinki in 2010 and conducted post-doctoral research in Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, France. In 2011, she joined the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki to improve comparative research methodologies in the cognitive-affective studies of humans and companion dogs. From 2020, she has studied human-canine interaction, utilizing accelerometry and cardiac measures, at the Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, University of Jyväskylä. She is interested in social cognition and emotionality in humans and non-human species, especially companion dogs; cross-species interaction; and the development of expertise in understanding non-human social cues.
Olli Loukola
“What we can learn from bees?”
Dr. Olli Loukola is a Finnish behavioural ecologist, an adjunct professor (docent) of animal ecology, and widely known as “the guy who taught bees to play football.” He earned his PhD from the University of Oulu, Finland, in 2014, studying social information use in passerine birds. Following his doctoral research, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Queen Mary University of London. Currently, Dr. Loukola is a senior research fellow at the Department of biology at the University of Turku. His work explores the cognitive abilities of various species, the role of information use within and between species, and its ecological and evolutionary significance. He is also interested in how environmental factors, such as species interactions and chemical exposure, influence cognition.
Kristyn Vitale
“A Look Inside the Lives of Cats: The science behind cat-human and cat-cat interactions”
Dr. Kristyn Vitale is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and an internationally recognized expert in cat behavior. She earned a PhD in Animal Science from Oregon State University (USA) and served as a Visiting Research Fellow in Cognitive Psychology at Kyoto University (Japan). She is currently an Assistant Professor of Animal Health and Behavior at Unity Environmental University (USA). Her research interests include cross-cultural comparisons of human-animal interactions, human-animal attachment relationships, animal learning and training, and companion animal welfare. Much of her work is focused on cat social behavior, cat-human relationships, and the impact of life experience on cat social cognition. She has also supported research into pig-human interactions and dog-assisted interventions for children. Her research and expertise have been internationally featured in media outlets such as National Geographic, Science Magazine, BBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and DER SPIEGEL. Her work has also been featured in film documentaries such as How the Cat Conquered the World (ARTE France) and Inside the Mind of a Cat (Netflix).
Evening events
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Theme: Study day afterwork.
Venue: Les Caractères, 25 Rue des Grands Augustins, 75006 Paris — check here
Times: 6:00 pm to midnight
*All study day participants are invited to this event.
Thursday, October 3, 2024
Theme: Wine and cheese tasting with vegetarian options
Venue: ASIEM, 6 rue Albert de Lapparent, 75007, Paris
Time: from 6:00 pm to 12:00 am
*The registration is free but mandatory.
Friday, October 4, 2024
Theme: Closing gala of the congress
Venue: Le Petit Boutary, 16 Rue Jacquemont, 75017 Paris
— In a quiet street in Les Batignolles, chef Romeo Agbodjan welcomes you to his kitchen, set up directly in the heart of the restaurant, with unique, relaxed but refined and original surprise menus, changed regularly according to the market and the seasons. Check here.
Time: from 7:30 pm to 12:00 am
*Registration and payment via the web.
Venue
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons
Located just minutes from Ljubljana’s city center and directly by the highway ring, it offers an ideal environment for scientific meetings such as EVCBMAW 2026.
Modern Conference Facilities in the Heart of Ljubljana
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons is one of Slovenia’s leading business hotels, known for its excellent congress facilities, easy accessibility, and peaceful green surroundings.
Located just minutes from Ljubljana’s city center and directly by the highway ring, it offers an ideal environment for scientific meetings such as EVCBMAW 2026.
Conference Spaces at a Glance
Located on the green outskirts of Ljubljana, Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons offers a calm and contemporary conference environment just minutes from the city centre. Surrounded by forest and connected directly to the highway, the hotel provides easy access for international and regional delegates. Modern lecture halls, bright foyers for networking, and spacious outdoor areas create a comfortable setting for focused work, professional meetings, and relaxed social interaction throughout the event.
Welcome Reception and Gala Event
The Welcome Reception will also take place within the Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons hotel complex. More detailed information and exact location will be provided closer to the event.
Accommodation
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons offers EVCBMAW 2026 participants special accommodation rates. All rooms provide modern amenities, free Wi-Fi, and relaxing views of the hotel’s green surroundings. A dedicated booking link is available on this page.
Why Ljubljana?
Ljubljana is one of Europe’s most charming and green capitals — safe, walkable, vibrant, and full of cultural heritage. Its central location makes travel easy for participants from all over Europe.
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons
Pot za Brdom 4, 1000
Ljubljana,
Eslovenia
Accessibility information
The hotel is easily accessible from major European cities. Below you’ll find the most convenient travel options to help you plan your journey.
Nearest Airports
The most convenient international airports are:
- Ljubljana Airport (LJU) – ~20 minutes drive to Ljubljana
- Trieste Airport (TRS), Italy – ~1.1 hour drive to Ljubljana
- Zagreb Airport – ~1.2 hours drive to Ljubljana
- Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), Italy – ~2 hours drive to Ljubljana
- Pula Airport (PUY), Croatia – ~2 hours drive to Ljubljana
We recommend Ljubljana Airport for the shortest and most direct transfer.
Airport Transfers & Car Rentals
- Shuttle services and private transfers are available from Ljubljana and airports closest to the event (see GoOpti).
- Car rental is widely available at all airports, and driving to Ljubljana is straightforward with scenic routes.
- Taxis and ride-share services like Uber are also available.
Ljubljana Railway Station connects to Vienna, Zagreb, Trieste, Munich, Budapest.
Taxi to hotel: approx. 10–15 minutes
International and domestic lines arrive at Ljubljana Bus Station.
From city centre: approx. 10 minutes by taxi
The hotel is directly located on Ljubljana’s highway ring.
Easy access from Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Croatia
Large on-site parking.
Charging stations for electric vehicles
How to get to Ljubljana
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is located 20 km from the centre of Helsinki. From the airport you can get to Helsinki city centre by train (30min), bus (40-50 min) or taxi (30 min). Helsinki airport transport connections here.
There are also 19 other airports in Finland (see here).
Ferries from Tallinn and Stockholm bring passengers directly to Helsinki city centre. From Travemünde, the ferry arrives at the Port of Vuosaari, about 15 km from the city centre (60 min by bus-metro, 30 min by car). All ferries also take passengers by car.
The distances are long in Finland, but public transport works well, and the roads are mostly in good condition. You will find information about public transport, driving and foreign driving licenses in Finland here
Registration
Registration will close once the maximum capacity of 300 participants is reached.
Members*
Early Bird Price-
380 € Regular Price
-
Admission to the sessions
-
Lunch on both days
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Coffee breaks
-
Welcome Reception
-
Gala Event
Non members
Early Bird Price-
420 € Regular Price
-
Admission to the sessions
-
Lunch on both days
-
Coffee breaks
-
Welcome Reception
-
Gala Event
Students
Early Bird Price-
250 € Regular Price
-
Admission to the sessions
-
Lunch on both days
-
Coffee breaks
-
Welcome Reception
-
Gala Event
Accommodation
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons offers all participants of the 2026 EVCBMAW more favorable prices of accommodation at the locations listed below.
The reservation of the accommodation is to be arranged directly with the selected hotel.
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons
* * * *
From 160 EUR/night
- Includes buffet breakfast
- Includes use of indoor pool
- Includes use of fitness center and sauna
Welcome reception
Free of charge but registration needed.
Thursday 19th shortly after the end of the congress presentations.
Stazione Leopolda di Pisa.
* Members of ECAWBM, ESVCE, AWSELVA in good standing for 2024
Social dinner
65 euros and registration needed.
Friday 20th October.
Shuttle bus from Pisa included.
Villa Poschi.
Not gala dinner.
– No fee to ECAWBM enrolled residents and their supervisors.
– Other attendees €100.
Topic: the latest scientific updates on the behaviour and welfare of rabbits, ferrets, small mammals, chelonia, lizards, and snakes.
Sponsors
Useful contact details
Confedent international
Questions regarding registration, payments and accommodation:
Please fill free to contact us: info@evcbmaw2026.org