The InterPore Council Committee met online on 12 January 2026 to discuss key organizational, financial, and strategic matters, with conference planning from 2026 to 2029 taking up the majority of the discussion. InterPore2026 in Nantes, France, is expected to see very strong attendance, with more than 900 abstracts submitted to date. InterPore2027 will take place in Brazil, and three bids from Europe were received for InterPore2028, which will be evaluated soon. InterPore2028 will also mark the 20-year anniversary of InterPore (founded in 2008), and the Council Chair will work on establishing a Jubilee Committee to celebrate this milestone. In relation to InterPore2029, the Council considered options beyond the traditional Europe–Americas rotation, including Asia, Oceania, and Africa, as part of a broader strategy to enhance geographic diversity and global participation; this will be explored further by the Council and Executive Committee.

The Council further considered whether continued investment in online participation remains worthwhile. While online participation supports DEI objectives by enabling attendance for members with financial constraints, it also involves high A/V and internet costs and has resulted in uneven experiences due to recurring technical issues. For InterPore2026, only about 5% of submitted abstracts requested online participation. As session recordings are also valuable for in-person attendees, the InterPore Office will track usage statistics, and the current online participation model—already committed for 2026—will be reassessed for future conferences.

The Council also discussed the recently completed InterPore Strategic Plan, which is now available to members via the My InterPore page (https://interpore.org/user/login).  The Council extends its sincere thanks to Karsten Thompson, Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee (https://interpore.org/about_im/strategic-planning-committee), and to the members of the Committee for the preparation of this highly valuable document. The Strategic Plan offers a comprehensive assessment of InterPore’s current state, providing a thorough review of its entities and activities, and sets out clear, actionable guidance for the Society’s strategic direction across all areas.

Lastly, preparations for upcoming InterPore elections were discussed. A Nomination Committee will be formed, chaired by Past President Karsten Thompson, and will be tasked with identifying and recruiting candidates for the Council and for the position of President.