Since the mid-1990s, antibodies have grown steadily into a clinically important pharmaceutical class with over 70 antibody-based drugs approved, predominantly in oncology, autoimmunity and inflammation. As the antibody drug field has expanded and matured in recent years, the field has moved from empirical strategies to deep knowledge-based, designer approaches for which understanding of mechanisms of action is critical; there has also been a trend toward increasingly specialized meetings with a narrow focus such as cancer immunotherapy, bispecifics or B cell biology. In contrast, we are proposing a scientifically diverse program that spans a broad range of different and cutting-edge topics relevant to antibody drug development, including antibodies for infectious disease and antibody pharmacology, topics which are often under-represented at major antibody conferences. Additionally, we have chosen a diverse collection of speakers from junior investigators to seasoned researchers from a wide range of institutions in at least eight different countries. We hope and expect that this approach will stimulate ‘cross-pollination’ between disciplines that span the gamut from basic to translational to clinical sciences with the common theme of antibody drugs for the benefit of patients.