The Florida Entomological Society (FES) has announced that it will co-locate its 2016 annual meeting with the XXV International Congress of Entomology (ICE), which will be held in Orlando, FL from September 25-30, 2016.

Like the Olympics, the International Congress of Entomology is held every four years, and it attracts thousands of participants from all over the world. This event promises to be the largest gathering of entomologists in history, as the Florida Entomological Society joins the Entomological Society of Canada (ESC) and the Entomological Society of America (ESA), who will all co-locate their 2016 meetings in Orlando along with the ICE 2016.

“With the news of the International Congress of Entomology being held in Orlando, FL in 2016, the Florida Entomological Society decided to hold our annual meeting in conjunction with ICE,” said Dr. Nan-Yao Su, 2014 president of the FES. “On behalf of FES, we’d like to welcome our entomologist colleagues to our beautiful sunshine state. This will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our members to collaborate with international entomologists.”

Established in 1916, the Florida Entomological Society has more than 700 members and publishes the journal Florida Entomologist.

International Congresses of Entomology have been held throughout the world every four years since 1910. The 2016 Congress in Orlando will be the 25th meeting. Each Congress provides a forum for scientists, researchers, academia, technicians, government, and industry representatives to discuss the latest research and innovations in the many diverse fields of entomology, to share expertise in their specific fields of interest, and to present their research and products. ICE delegates represent many countries in both hemispheres, and include both the developed and developing world. The week-long meetings allow participants to meet others from around the world with similar focus areas and to form important networks to collaborate and share knowledge, with an overarching goal of supporting and protecting the world’s population through better science.

“We are very excited that the FES will be joining the Canadian and American entomological societies for ICE 2016,” said ICE Organizing Committee Co-Chairs Alvin Simmons and Walter Leal. “The decision by the FES and ESC to co-locate their meetings in Orlando helps highlight the theme of the meeting, which is Entomology Without Borders.”

For more information about the 2016 International Congress of Entomology, visit http://www.ice2016orlando.org.

For more information about the Entomological Society of Florida, visit http://www.flaentsoc.org.