Anouncing the
BIG STUFF 2025
Conference
IN BELGIUM!
© Martin Corlazzoli
October 14th to 17th, 2025
We are thrilled to announce that the international Big Stuff Conference will take place in Belgium from October 14th to 17th, 2025. Hosted by the vibrant Big Stuff Heritage community, this event is a gathering of museum professionals, academics, consultants, volunteers, and private owners dedicated to preserving and showcasing technological and industrial heritage.
© Martin Corlazzoli
© Martin Corlazzoli
Skills and Machines –
A Living Partnership
In 2025 we focus on the symbiotic relationship between skills and machinery. Industrial heritage encompasses not just large-scale installations and historic machinery, but also the people, skills, and knowledge required to operate, maintain and showcase this mechanical legacy. As the generations of workers and volunteers who have learned to control, calibrate and repair these machines retire, their invaluable expertise is at risk of being lost.
The conference wants to explore effective methods for passing critical and endangered knowledge to new staff and volunteers, ensuring the continuity of this heritage. We would also like to broaden the scope, looking at ways to make old technologies resonate with new generations. How do we teach handskills to a generation brought up on automation? How do we connect older Big Stuff to important new themes such as lower carbon emissions, lower pollution, circular re-use and right to repair?
Participate and connect
Join us in Belgium and take the opportunity to present your own practices, experiences, and challenges. You can present a paper in a 20-minute talk, followed by a discussion. Alternatively, you can participate in a poster session, which is a fantastic opportunity to share your work in a more informal setting with the Big Stuff community. Enjoy the excursions to inspiring industrial heritage sites across Belgium, with ample time for networking and discussions.
A face-to-face and online Asia-Pacific hub will also be hosted in Perth on the same dates, making it easier for southern hemisphere heritage machinery fans to meet each other, get involved and reduce travel costs and carbon impact.
The call for abstracts is now open for presentations or posters in either Belgium, Australia or online. Full program will be sent out in late 2024 after closing the call for abstracts.
Safeguarding critical and endangered Knowledge
“We are proud to announce that the Big Stuff conference will come to the Museum of Industry in 2025! Located in a historic cotton factory in the vibrant city of Ghent, our museum is steeped in industrial history. It's the perfect venue for delving into the intricate relationship between people, skills, and machinery. Join us and discover Belgium’s rich industrial heritage from our unique basecamp.“
- Ann van Nieuwenhuyse - director Museum of Industry
© Industriemuseum
RegISTRATION AND PRICING
The conference will take place from October 14th to 17th, 2025.
Mark your calendars and prepare to connect, learn, and be inspired!
Registration will be available from late 2024.
Conference fee | Conference dinner | |
Regular | € 350 | € 40 |
Early bird | € 300 | € 40 |
Speaker* | € 200 | € 40 |
Student | € 150 | € 40 |
Virtual | Free |
*reduction fee only for oral presentation (not for poster presentation)
CAll FOR Abstracts
In for a talk or a poster presentation? Send your abstract to: bigstuff2025@industriemuseum.be
- Language: English
- Length: not exceeding 2000 characters
- Deadline:1st of November 2024
Please indicate the format you prefer oral, or poster presentation & indicate the location (Belgium/Australia) where you would like to present online or in person.
A notification will be sent out on the 15th of November 2024 to the acceptees of the contributed talks and posters.
Contact
Museum of Industry
Minnemeers 10
9000 Ghent
© Martin Corlazzoli
Supporting partners
