About The Festival Of Genomics & Biodata
The Festival is open to almost anyone, but it’s mostly built for scientists, researchers, clinicians, technology companies, investors and patient organisations – to realise the true potential of genomics medicine and related applications.
As the use of genomics technologies continues to mature, the scope of the Festival has expanded too. The Festival is now a truly global event – creating a stage for world-leading speakers, ideas, companies and networking opportunities to ultimately benefit patients.
About Front Line Genomics
Front Line Genomics organises the Festival of Genomics & Biodata. Front Line Genomics’ mission is to deliver the benefits of genomics to patients faster. We work towards this goal by creating interesting content and practical resources via our website and producing webinars, events and reports.
We typically support people in healthcare, research, pharma, investment, technology, policy and government, charitable and patient organizations, as well as, from time-to-time, patients themselves.
We are a dedicated team of genomics and science enthusiasts, many of us with our own personal stories of how genomics has influenced our lives.
At Front Line Genomics our main focus is on creating meaningful change in the lives of patients, not profit. Where possible, everything we produce is free-to-access so that we have more impact.
Our History
Front Line Genomics was set up in 2014 to engage, educate and inspire people in healthcare, research and industry around the subject of genomics. We originally partnered with a large organisation in the events sector, organizing Festivals in the UK, California and Boston, and launching www.frontlinegenomics.com.
Since then, we’ve supported more than 500,000 people via the Festival, conferences, meet-ups, our website, reports and webinars.
In 2018 we became an independent, privately owned business, free from the shackles of the private equity world and – most importantly – free to prioritise our social mission.
Since then we haven’t looked back, growing the UK Festival of Genomics to become the UK’s largest genomics event (and when the Festival was a digital event in 2021 and 2022 the world’s largest genomics event), expanding to cover topics downstream of the genomics workflow (including the wider use of biodata), launching multiple digital events and webinars, and publishing several reports designed to support the genomics and biodata community.
Contact Us
Jack Halliday
Head of Sales
T: +44 (0)7842 780 958
Diana Georgi
Head of Production
E: diana@frontlinegenomics.com
T: +44 (0)208 191 8810
FAQs
Whether you’re new to the Festival of Genomics & Biodata, a past attendee or someone in-between, this Festival FAQ page will provide you with more information about the Festival.
For those ready to register for the Festival, there is a separate list of Registration FAQs over on the registration page.
Is the 2023 Festival taking place both in-person and online?
No. The Festival is taking place in-person ONLY. So, to participate in the Festival, you will need to travel to Boston and attend in-person.
Why is the Festival not taking place digitally? Why is it live only?
Keeping the Festival free to attend, in the long run, is a priority. It’s important to the business model that supports free attendance of the Festival that we create a vibrant, dynamic, well-attended LIVE event. We want to ensure as many people attend the in-person Festival as possible, so that our sponsors and exhibitors (who ultimately pay for the event and subsidize free tickets) meet as many people as possible. This keeps this, and future Festivals, free to attend for more than 90% of our attendees. We are developing our digital offering for the future, particularly for those who cannot travel to the Festival in-person.
How can I present a poster? Is it free? What size should the poster be? Does it have to be work that is being presented for the first time?
To present a poster, select a ‘poster ticket’ on the registration page on this website. You should find out within three weeks whether your abstract has been selected.
Posters are free for anyone working exclusively for a university, registered not-for-profit organisation, drug developer or hospital. Posters should be a standard A0 size, portrait. You do not have to be presenting your work for the first time, but the research being presented should be relatively new, and your abstract will be assessed against how interesting we feel it will be for our audience.
How do I exhibit or sponsor at the Festival? How can I find out more?
At the time of writing we have a very small number of exhibition booths, speaking and sponsorship opportunities available. To find out more, please contact Beth at beth@frontlinegenomics.com.
Can I apply to speak at the Festival?
We are always interested in hearing from interested future speakers, and/or new ideas for talks or other sessions. Please contact Diana at diana@frontlinegenomics.com.
Most Festival tickets are free. Why?
The organizers of the Festival, Front Line Genomics, are a social business, with a mission to deliver the benefits of genomics to patients faster. We are not optimized for profit. We are optimized for social impact. We fundamentally believe that – where possible – ticket prices should not be a barrier to attendance. Particularly where the impact of ‘open’ attendance is designed to benefit patients. Therefore, we’ve developed a business model that means – thanks to the contributions of sponsors and exhibitors – the majority of Festival attendees can attend for free.
What’s the Festival dress code?
Just use your common sense and wear whatever you feel would be suitable. Most attendees dress casually. Some prefer smart. It’s up to you.
Is food and drink free at the Festival?
There are plenty of food and drink options at the Festival, but it is not free (as you would expect, because the vast majority of tickets are free). We do not provide coffee or lunch etc. However, there are water fountains at the Festival, and we encourage you to bring your own receptacle to fill up whenever you like.
Why was the Festival set up?
The organizer of the Festival, Front Line Genomics, was set up following the death of the founder’s father to a rare form of cancer. This led to the creation of a social business and our social mission: to deliver the benefits of genomics to patients faster. Front Line Genomics set about building an event designed to: (1) be free for most of the audience to attend, (2) bring together people from different sectors and disciplines to break down silos, and (3) to deliver meaningful change by providing attendees with strong content and interesting speakers. We also set out to build an exciting event, with an initial vision of ‘Woodstock for genomics’. And finally, an event that would help to get people excited about genomics, and its potential impact on genomics for patients.