Another year—another conference. This one is going to be huge! All the benefits of a larger meeting with a broader audience and more diverse presentations but retaining the collegiality and intimacy that you’ve come to expect of ASBS meetings.

Systematics 2017—Integrating Systematics for Conservation and Ecology is a joint meeting of the Australasian Systematic Botany Society, the Society of Australian Systematic Biologists, incorporating the Invertebrate Biodiversity and Conservation Biennial Meeting.

The meeting is to be held at the University of Adelaide, (26) 27–29 November and there is now an open call for suggestions and coordinators for themed symposia.

This will be the last communication from the ASBS 2016 website, please subscribe to the mailing list for Systematics 2017 at systematics.ourplants.org if you’re tempted to attend this year.

Hope to see you in Adelaide.

Yikes!—only a day in and already we have a placeholder for the next Australasian Systematic Botany Society conference—fantastic!

Tentative dates: 26–29 November, 2017

Venue: The University of Adelaide

This will be a joint meeting with the Society of Australian Systematic Biologists.

For those who would prefer to have an electronic version of the abstract booklet, you can download that from here now (1MB).

The abstract book is at the printers—it’s starting to feel real for us, how about you? We’ve put the program (as printed) up for you to download if you like. We’ll make the full booklet with abstacts available soon.

Are you ready to upload your presentation? Even if you do it right now you won’t be the first, but if you have it ready why not avoid the queues at the registration desk. If you later decide to make some slight adjustments you can always replace the version we have on file. Shoot us a quick email (asbs2016@ourplants.org) and we’ll send you a secure link to upload the file in your web browser.

We’re ripping the bandaid off and introducing BYO-CB to ASBS—but don’t just mourn the loss of a chance to obtain yet another eclectic shopping bag, take the opportunity to bring one of your favourite, pre-loved, conference bags along and show off to your colleagues.

In case my language is too obscure—we are not providing conference bags this year, the abstract book will be furnished naked.

Ellery Creek Big Hole, West MacDonnell Ranges (Lawrence Murray, CC-BY)

With only about a week to go we’re happy to provide you with an overview of the ASBS 2016 program. Pleasantly surprised with your enthusiastic response—we have a pretty full program. You can check out the presentation schedule on the website now.

A reminder for any students (or supervisors of students) planning to attend the ASBS conference this year—the Australasian Systematic Botany Society offers financial assistance to student members to participate at such meetings. The amount available is generally based on the early-bird student registration fee.

Please see the ASBS website for details and the application form. Applications are due around the same time as abstracts for the meeting are due.

Don’t forget today is the last opportunity for early-bird rates.

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Good news is (unless you have already paid) we’ve extended the early bird payment period for another two weeks so for those of you delayed in getting institutional approval or just not quite organised yourself yet — now have until 5 August.

Bad news (unless you have already submitted your abstract) the deadline for abstract submission is 19 August, that’s only four weeks! Grab the submission form now and send your abstract in.

Here’s what you have all been waiting for… conference abstract submission time. Yes, we’re accepting your abstracts as soon as you can get them to us. We’ve made the process very simple so you can spend those extra minutes polishing your text.

Just download the template, fill it in and email it back to us—details are available now.

The number of registrants is already in double figures and we now have our payment process available. You can pay by bank transfer, credit card or cheque (what’s that?!). If you’ve already registered download and complete a form and send it to us for processing—if you haven’t what are you waiting for?

Next up, we’ll begin accepting presentations.