The public day, where key concepts in gene and cell therapy along with the latest research are presented in the local language to a general audience, is an integral part of the Congress. The Congress may be organised solely by ESGCT, but is often organised in collaboration with a national society for gene and cell therapy in Europe, for example the German Society for Gene Therapy DG-GT in 2017, or with closely related scientific societies, such as the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) in 2016. Since 2016, ESGCT also organises an annual Spring School. This meeting is aimed at students and young investigators who are new to the field of gene and cell therapy. The Spring School aims to provide an intensive training course and the opportunity to interact with current and future leaders in the field. Recently, ESGCT has started initiatives to engage its members and the wider community, including patients and members of the public. These initiatives include a heatmap that shows the location and details of gene and cell therapy research in Europe, blogs written by the society's members and news items accessible to non-specialists available on the ESGCT website. The Board of ESGCT consists of 10 eminent scientists working in the fields of gene and/or cell therapy. Furthermore, one or two graduate students may be co-opted, non-voting, members of the Board. The presidency of ESGCT normally runs for 2 years. Presidents are elected at the Annual General Meeting that takes place at the Annual Congress. The following people have been elected President of the Society  The Annual Congress of the ESGCT take place in a different location in Europe every year to reflect the international character of the society. Since the first congress in 1993, Congresses have taken place in