FAQs

Booking Information

​When is the early bird discount deadline?

• The early bird discount ended on 31st January 2026.

 

Who qualifies for the member rates?

• Members of the Global Agritourism Network can avail of the member ticket fee.  Membership must be active and paid at the time of the Conference in June 2026.  You can join GAN here before booking your ticket, to take advantage of the discounted member price - https://globalagritourismnetwork.org/membership/

 

Are the tours included in the ticket price?

• One of six Core Tours on Tuesday 23rd June is included if the correct “full conference” ticket is selected.  “Conference only” and one day tickets do not include a Core Tour.

• Pre- and post- conference Learning Journeys can be booked separately and are not included in the ticket price.

 

Is lunch included in the ticket price?

• Yes, lunch and refreshments during Core Tours and conference are included in the ticket price.

 

Are the evening social events included in the ticket price?

• The Welcome to Scotland Civic Reception on Tuesday 23rd June is included.  The Gala Dinner on Wednesday 24th June is not included in the ticket price and tickets can be purchased separately until fully booked.

 

Can I book for two people or more?

• Yes, you can register additional conference attendees and accompanying guests as part of your registration.

 

Does the Accompanying Guest Ticket include access to conference sessions?

• No, the guest ticket is designed for conference delegates to bring their partner or a friend to the Core Tour, the Civic Reception and the Gala Dinner.  The conference sessions are NOT included in this ticket.  People with an Accompanying Guest Ticket will not be permitted to attend conference sessions or coffee breaks/lunches at the venue.

 

Can I book for just one day of the conference?

• Yes, one day registration is possible.  Please email gac2026@abbeyconferences.com for information.

 

Can I attend GAC 2026 online?

• No, there is no virtual attendance option.

 

Do I need a visa to attend?

• People travelling from outside the UK should check visa requirements well in advance.  Depending on your nationality, you may now need to get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).  Click here to check if you need a UK Visa.

• If you need a letter to support your visa application, the conference team can provide one once your booking is confirmed.  You can request one at the time of booking or email gac2026@abbeyconferences.com

 

Can I get a letter of support for my visa application?

• Yes, this can be requested on the booking form.  Please ensure you enter the details as displayed on your passport.

• Please note, this can only be issued once payment for your ticket has been received in full.  If you pay online by card, the letter will be issued with your registration confirmation email.  If you are paying by bank transfer, please allow a few days for this to be issued whilst we receive and allocate you payment accordingly.

 

Can I claim back the VAT on my ticket?

• UK attendees/exhibitors will be eligible to recover the input VAT on their own VAT returns subject to the normal VAT recovery rules.

• Non-UK organisations which may not be registered for VAT in the UK may still be eligible to make a claim to HMRC to recover the VAT on costs associated with the event by submitting a 13th Directive claim to HMRC.  Additional information on submitting a 13th Directive claim can be found in HMRC Notice 723A - Refunds of UK VAT for non-UK businesses 

 

Can I transfer my ticket to someone else?

• Yes, tickets can be transferred to someone else.  Please email gac2026@abbeyconferences.com with the full details of the new attendee, so we can update the booking.

 

What is the cancellation policy for my booking?

• Notice of cancellation must be sent by email to gac2026@abbeyconferences.com or in writing to Abbey Conferences, 67 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, EH2 4SD.

• For cancellations received before 20th March 2026 a full refund less an administration charge of £80.00 will be granted.

• Refunds will not be granted after 20th March 2026.  The organisers advise that you take out travel insurance to cover your costs in the event that you have to cancel. 

• Gala dinner tickets cancelled after the 24th April 2026 will not receive a refund.

• No‐shows will not receive a refund. 

• Substitutions are welcome.  No substitutions will be granted after Tuesday 9th June 2026.

 

What happens if the conference is cancelled?

• In the unlikely case of cancellation of the event, the organisers shall not accept liability for any consequential loss and shall have no liability to reimburse any other costs that may have been incurred, including transport costs, accommodation etc. Attendees are encouraged to take out travel insurance when making travel and accommodation arrangements.

 

Will I be photographed or filmed at the conference?

• Photography and video recording will take place at the conference.  The release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of this content will be used for news, webcasts, promotional purposes, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by the conference, its affiliates and representatives.  Please notify us if you wish to be removed from any such materials by emailing gac2026@abbeyconferences.com

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Presentations and Programme

Can I apply to present at GAC 2026?

• Submissions have now closed.

 

When will the programme be available?

• The full programme is now available and will be fully finalised in the run-up to the conference.

 

My presentation has been accepted for the programme, do I need to pay for my ticket?

• All presenters must have booked their ticket and paid by Saturday 10th January 2026.  After this time your presentation slot may be offered to another applicant.  As advised during the application process, all presenters must purchase their conference ticket and pay for their own travel to Aberdeen.

 

My presentation has been accepted for the programme, can I present remotely?

• All presenters are expected to attend and present in-person.

 

My presentation has been accepted for the programme, can a colleague present on my behalf?

• Yes, if you are unable to attend, a colleague can present on your behalf.  Please ensure they have booked a ticket for the conference and then email gac2026@abbeyconferences.com by 30th April 2026.

 

How will my app only presentation work?

• Your accepted presentation document will appear in the app.  We also recommend submitting a PDF to display your work.  Instructions will be sent by email.

 

Will abstracts be published?

• Presentation documents will appear in the conference app.  There will be no printed abstract book.

Payment

What are the payment options for the conference tickets?

• Payment can be made online by card or an invoice can be requested.  Please complete the booking form and select your preferred payment option on the payment page.  If you have a PO number, this can also be added to your invoice on the registration form.  Registration will only be confirmed once payment has been received, and the invoice should be settled within 14 days of issue.  

 

Who should payment be made to?

• All payments should be made directly to Abbey Conferences.  To facilitate the setup process, you can find our bank details and supplier information here.

 

What should I do if my card payment is not processed correctly?

• The following are common payment error messages you may encounter:

 

Error 61,825 – Card security restriction

Your card has security settings that prevent this payment from being processed.

Abbey Conferences’ parent company operates within the leisure sector, and some corporate cards are restricted from making leisure-related purchases.You can try a personal card or contact the card provider to approve transaction.

 

Error 51 – Insufficient funds

There are not enough funds available on the card to complete the payment.

 

Invalid data

This usually occurs when special characters or accents are entered into the billing address fields.  Accents and special characters such as é, ñ, ç are not supported.

Please re-enter your details using standard letters only (A–Z).
This error can also occur if the full address is entered on a single line.  Please ensure each part of the address is entered into the correct, separate fields provided.

 

Payment not completed

Your device may have refreshed or encountered a temporary glitch during the payment process.  When you try again, the system may indicate that payment has already been received.  This is caused by security measures and stored cache/cookies preventing a duplicate transaction.

Try completing the payment on a different device or browser.  Clear your browser’s cache and cookies before trying again.  Make sure to check your bank statement to confirm whether payment was taken.

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Venue & Logistics

What venues will the Global Agritourism Conference 2026 take place in?

• The conference, civic reception and gala dinner will take place at P&J Live, East Burn Road, Stoneywood, Aberdeen, AB21 9FX, United Kingdom.

• The pre- and post-conference Learning Journeys and the Core Tours will all take place off-site, around Scotland.

 

How do I get to P&J Live to attend the Conference?

• By rail:
  Aberdeen’s train station is centrally located in the city and operates services to major UK cities.  Once you arrive at Aberdeen station, you can take a taxi to P&J Live.  This will take approximately 15-20 minutes and taxis are available from the taxi rank outside the station.  Alternatively, you could take a bus from the station.  Services 727 and X27 operate from the city centre to P&J Live, with journey times of approximately 30 minutes.

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• By road:

       P&J Live has ample parking facilities and is located just off the A96, near Aberdeen International Airport.

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• By air:

       From Aberdeen Airport (ABZ), you can walk to P&J Live in around 20-25 minutes.  You can take a taxi from outside the terminal building and arrive at P&J Live in around 5-10 minutes.

 

• Shuttle bus service:

       There will be a free shuttle bus service between P&J Live, the airport and the city centre on conference open days.  Further details will be provided closer to the conference.

 

For more information on travelling to P&J Live, click here.

Are there any discounted travel options for getting to the conference?

• Scottish regional airline Loganair are pleased to offer all Global Agritourism Conference attendees a 30% discount off all airfare types. Simply visit www.loganair.co.uk or download the Loganair app.  Enter the promocode GAC2026 when making your booking to receive the discount. Attendees can travel from 19-28 June 2026.

• Air France / KLM Travel are pleased to also offer a discount available for attendees of the Global Agritourism Conference at 10% discount off €140+ flights. Visit the Air France.com or KLM.com website and use the promo code GME60467AF. Please follow the instructions here. Please note discounts apply only to EURO € transactions, make sure to change the currency country. 

• ScotRail will be offering a 30% discount to Global Agritourism Conference attendees travelling within Scotland during the event. To access this discount, please email group.travel@scotrail.co.uk with your travel details.

• LNER are offering a 20% discount on rail travel to and from Scotland for conference delegates. To receive the discount code, registered attendees should email gac2026@abbeyconferences.com. Full booking instructions will be provided upon request.

 

Will my dietary requirements be catered for at the conference?

• Yes, please make sure you indicate dietary needs when booking and these will be passed to the venue catering team who will provide suitable options.If you can’t see anything you can eat, please ask a member of the venue staff.

 

Is the conference venue accessible for people with disabilities?

• Yes, P&J Live is a new venue, designed to be fully accessible to all visitors.  The venue features level access throughout, accessible toilets on all levels, a Changing Places facility, hearing assistance systems, and dedicated parking spaces for Blue Badge holders.  For comprehensive information about accessibility features and services at the conference, please visit our Accessibility page.

 

Will there be a quiet space at the conference?

• Yes, there will be a designated quiet room at P&J Live for anyone who needs a space to decompress. The location of this room will be clearly marked on venue maps and signposted throughout the venue. You can also ask a member of staff to guide you.

 

What will the weather be like in Aberdeen in June?

• Summer in Aberdeen is usually mild, with average temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees centigrade.  There may be warm sunny periods of temperatures of up to 25 degrees, where you will need sunscreen when outside.  There could be lows of 9 degrees and a breeze coming off the North Sea, plus rain is always a possibility!  Due to the northern latitude, the city enjoys long days of around 18 hours of daylight around the summer solstice on 21st June.  It won’t be truly dark until 11pm or later!

 

Core Tours & Learning Journeys

What is the difference between the Core Tours and the Learning Journeys?

• The Core Tours are part of the conference programme and can be included in the ticket price if you choose a “full conference ticket with core tour” option.  Core Tours take place on Day 1 of the Conference (Tuesday 23rd June from approximately 8am – 5pm).  You can choose one of six tours, each visiting three agritourism businesses within an hour’s drive of Aberdeen.  For more information, click here.

• The Learning Journeys are taking place pre- and post-conference over several days and are booked separately from your conference ticket.  These will be unique experiences on farms all across the country, which are bespoke, deeply engaging and thought-provoking encounters, curated especially for delegates of the Global Agritourism Conference 2026.  For more information, please click here.

 

What do the Learning Journeys cost?

• Each Learning Journey has a different cost and the cost depends on how many nights you choose.  Please see the different options here.

 

Is there any crossover between places visited on the Core Tours and the Learning Journeys?

• Yes, there is crossover with the following:

Learning Journey 1 and Angus Glens & The Mearns Core Tour (Castleton Farm and Westerton Farm)

Learning Journey 2 and Heart of Aberdeenshire Core Tour (Forest Farm Dairy)

 

What should I wear for the Core Tours and Learning Journeys?

• You should wear walking shoes or boots suitable for visiting farms.  You will have to walk through a foot bath for biosecurity, so no open toes.  Bring a waterproof jacket in case of a rain shower and a warm layer in case it is windy!