Location: OMÀ Lounge Bar & Bakery House
Address: Via dei Priori, 81
Not included in conference fee. No sign-up required. Guests welcome.

Grab a drink with your fellow METM26 attendees before you head off for dinner. First time at METM? Don’t worry: our welcome team will be there to greet you and make introductions.

Location: Teatro Morlacchi
Address: Piazza Francesco Morlacchi, 13
Max: 30 people per group
Language: English
Price: €10.00 per person
Pay on the day, in cash or by card (except American Express). Sign-up required.

Step behind the scenes for an interactive tour of the 18th-century Teatro Morlacchi, featuring live theatrical moments performed by actor-guides. Depending on numbers, one or two groups will be arranged.

Location: TBC
Address: TBC
Max: 35 people per group
Language: English
Price: €15.00 per person (€17.00 with wireless receiver)
Pay on the day, in cash or by card. Sign-up required.

Join us for a spot of sightseeing on a 90-minute guided tour organized for MET by Gran Tour Perugia. Depending on numbers, one or two groups will be arranged.

Location: Conference venue
Room: Trumpet 1
Group leader: Francesca Matteoda
Sign-up required.

Unwind with Francesca Matteoda’s session of chair-based asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises). Everyone is welcome, back-bending yogis and beginners alike. Wear comfortable clothing.

Location: Conference venue
Room: Room on reception level
Slammers: Courtney Keeling Greelaw and Elizabeth Garrison
Moderator: Hayley Smith
Direction: Italian into English
No sign-up required.

Two slammers. One text. See how their approaches diverge – and converge – as they walk us through their work.

No knowledge of Italian needed; Hayley will help us decipher the source text.

Share a table with like-minded colleagues at one of our themed meal groups. We book the restaurant, you split the bill.

• All tables are for six people (unless otherwise specified).
• Restaurants can provide vegan/vegetarian options with advance notice (unless omnivore is mentioned in the table description).
• Remember to complete your dietary requirements on your My METM page.
• Sign-up required.

Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar. Turn back time to music’s golden era, from Tin Pan Alley to the mid-1960s. Think Sing, Sing, Sing meets Jailhouse Rock. If you sing in the shower to titles like I Got Rhythm, Oh Happy Day! or Pennies from Heaven, this get-together (Somewhere) Beyond the Sea is for you.
Group leader: Ailish Maher
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

First METM? We’d love to meet you! Join fellow first-timers and a MET council member to chat about what we do, what drew us to METM26 and much more. Be part of the conversation!
Group leader: Emma Goldsmith
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

First METM? We’d love to meet you! Join fellow first-timers and a MET council member to chat about what we do, what drew us to METM26 and much more. Be part of the conversation!
Group leader: Heather Hamilton
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Food and wines of Umbria. Cin cin! Pecorino isn’t just the name of cheese – it’s also a grape. Proof that, in Italian, words (like wines) deserve a closer look. Join us for an evening of food and wine, exploring what this sun-drenched region of Italy has to offer. Omnivores and wine lovers, this one’s for you.
Group leader: Ruth Simpson
Table size: max. 12 people
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Help, my project’s out of control! Last year, I had a project that went off the rails. It made for a stressful few months, but I know I’m not alone in this experience. Let’s discuss how we’ve coped and what we can do to tackle these sticky moments.
Group leader: Jackie Senior
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Hooked on crochet? Love a good yarn? Whether you’re a whizz at converting US to UK terms, addicted to colourful amigurumi or still just struggling to get your tension right, join us to compare yarn stashes and chat about all things mindful crafting. Beginners and experts welcome.
Group leader: Laura Bennett
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

The librarians. What’s your memory of libraries growing up? Do you use them now? And have libraries helped you professionally? Kate, a librarian in training, wants to hear your thoughts.
Group leader: Kate Sotejeff-Wilson
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Travels through Italy. Italy has it all. Let’s get together (perhaps with a few photographs) and share something that you really love about the country. And if you live in Italy, tell us what most visitors miss.
Group leader: Paul Appleyard
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Where do I belong? Having more than one country to call home can cause a cultural and linguistic identity crisis. Sound familiar? Come and chat with others who feel the same.
Group leader: Alice Lehtinen
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Location: Conference venue
Times: Friday at 12:45 and Saturday at 18:45
Performance: At the Saturday closing dinner
No sign-up required.

MET choir maestro Ruth Simpson is picking up her baton again to lead us through two numbers – one in English, one in Italian.

No previous singing experience is necessary and we’re a friendly bunch. If you’d like to join in, simply turn up for the rehearsals on Friday lunchtime and Saturday just before the closing dinner.

Scores, audio and more info coming soon.

Share a table with like-minded colleagues at one of our themed meal groups. We book the restaurant, you split the bill.

• See Thursday off-METM tables for full details.
• All tables are for six people (unless otherwise specified).
• Sign-up required.

“Plus-ones” table. Partner, spouse, closest ally, alibi… and business travel buddy? What are the perks and pitfalls of going to professional events with a plus-one? Let’s chat about how to maintain our work-life balance on the road.
Group leader: Caroline Bennett
Table size: 12 (6 attendees and their plus-ones)
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Ethics, the world and me. Ever wondered how ethics might affect you in your daily work? Put on your ethical hats and come and discuss complex situations over a delicious dinner.
Group leader: Phillippa May Bennett
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

First METM? We’d love to meet you! Join fellow first-timers and a MET council member to chat about what we do, what drew us to METM26 and much more. Be part of the conversation!
Group leader: Kate Major Patience
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Health & wellness in times of stress. Rest, relaxation and self-care are more important than ever in today’s turbulent world. Join us to share tips and tricks about stretching, yoga, ergonomics, breathwork, meditation and anything else that keeps you grounded.
Group leader: Courtney Keeling Greenlaw
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

How can we use AI as a force for good? Love it or loathe it, AI is here to stay. So can we use the power of this technology sustainably and responsibly to make a positive difference? Join us to share ideas, examples and hopes for using AI ethically in our work and beyond.
Group leader: Dominic Currie
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

How’s your carbon handprint? What’s a carbon handprint anyway? Join two of the people behind MET’s recently formed digital decluttering group to find out the answer and discuss all things sustainable. No guilt-tripping allowed!
Group leaders: Maighread Gallagher-Gambarelli and Susannah Goss
Table size: max. 12 people
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Keeping in the MET loop after you’ve retired. MET has fostered many friendships over the years. But how can we keep sharing life and linguistic experiences with MET peers after retiring? Enter the new MET retirees group. If you've retired, are nearly retired or are simply curious, come along to chat.
Group leader: Joy Burrough-Boenisch
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Museum people unite! Let’s share our love (and sometimes hate) for these cultural institutions. Do you have a favourite or least favourite museum or exhibition? Share your funny, tragic, wholesome, challenging and rewarding experiences working with or in museums.
Group leader: Kelsey Brunasso
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Runners unite. Come and chat to your fellow linguist-runners. Let’s discuss your favourite race locations, running gear and bird spots!
Group leader: Alicja Tokarska
Restaurant: TBC
Address: TBC

Location: Conference venue
No sign-up required.

See Friday rehearsal for full details.

Location: New Orleans restaurant at Hotel Giò
Menu: buffet
Music: MET choir performance
No sign-up required. Event open to conference attendees only.

Toast the end of the conference over a three-course buffet. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available. Let us know your dietary requirements via My METM.

Meeting point: Fountain in Piazza IV Novembre
End point: Carducci Gardens
Total distance: approx. 5 km; difficulty: moderate (some steep uphill stretches)
No sign-up required. Guests welcome.

Join Elina Nocera and Livia Nocera for a hilly walk around Perugia to soak up the city’s medieval charm. We’ll meet at the fountain in Piazza IV Novembre, then explore the old town, past the 13th-century aqueduct and lesser-known gems, including the ancient temple of San Michele Arcangelo and the iconic city gates Porta Sant’Angelo and the Etruscan Arch. Along the way, we'll pause to take in the breathtaking panoramic views as we approach our final stop in the picturesque Carducci Gardens.