The Amelia Conference:
ARCA’s Annual Interdisciplinary Art Crime Conference

Conference Dates – June 19 – 21, 2026
Conference Sessions – Collegio Boccarini Conference Hall
Adjacent to the Museo Civico Archeologico e Pinacoteca Edilberto Rosa
Amelia, Italy. 

Each summer, professionals from around the world gather in the beautiful town of Amelia, Italy, the seat of ARCA’s summer Postgraduate Certificate Programmes in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection to take part in ARCA’s flagship event: the Amelia Conference. Taking place from June 19 to 21, 2026, this three-day event offers a focused and engaging platform to examine the realities of art and antiquities crime and the protection of cultural heritage.

Hosted in the historic Collegio Boccarini adjacent to the Museo Civico Archeologico e Pinacoteca Edilberto Rosa, the conference helps support  ARCA’s wider postgraduate teaching programmes.

The weekend begins on Friday evening with a welcoming cocktail reception. Designed as an informal entry point into the conference, this event allows participants to arrive, settle in, and begin conversations that will continue throughout the weekend. It is as much about community as it is about content.

From Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon, the conference shifts into a series of structured sessions addressing key challenges facing the field today. Topics will span investigative practices, legal frameworks, trafficking networks, market dynamics, and the broader policy environment shaping cultural property protection.

The Amelia Conference distinguishes itself through its interdisciplinary approach. It brings together voices from across sectors, including law enforcement, academia, museums, international and grassroots organisations, as well as those representing actors in the art market. This format encourages open discussion, critical reflection, and the exchange of differing perspectives in a professional and respectful setting.

This year’s programme will feature a mix of presentations and panel discussions, some of which may take a more interactive or debate-oriented format.

Confirmed presentation titles and presenters will be added to this page as accepted speakers confirm their attendance.

The conference welcomes an international audience, including:

• Law enforcement and investigative professionals
• Legal practitioners and policy makers
• Museum and cultural heritage professionals
• Academics and researchers
• Art market participants and risk specialists
• Students and emerging professionals in related fields
• Anyone with an interest in the protection of art and the complexity of art crimes.

Registration for this year’s conference is now open on Eventbrite

Conference Registration Fees for 2026:

€170 for both days’ sessions for professionals, includes icebreaker cocktail.

€110 for both days’ sessions for university students providing proof of current enrolment in an academic program, includes icebreaker cocktail.

€90 for both days’ sessions for university students providing proof of current enrolment in an academic program.

€990 Conference (19-21 June 2026) + Illicit Trafficking Course (22-26 June 2026) Bundle  

This course + conference bundle Includes the Amelia Conference, Conference cocktail, Conference Gala Dinner and 25 hours of course instruction.  For more information on this informative course, please see this link.

All registration fees include entry to all conference panel sessions plus complimentary morning and afternoon refreshment breaks with coffee, juice, and light pastries on Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon.

Registration for the event will remain open until June 18, 2026 subject to space limitations.

2026 Topics and Presenters*

Kill Chain to Curator: Mapping the Rise of RaaS Attacks on Cultural Institutions
Ibrahim Bulut
Partner/Senior Security Consultant
Expertise & Security Consultants, Belgium

Alice Bientinesi, MA
Research Analyst, Association for Research into Crimes against Art,
Transnational Crime Mapping Project, Italy

*This list of speakers and their panel session topics will continue to grow as presentations are finalised. Our call for abstracts is still open through 30 April 2026.

FINAL NOTE
ARCA is a small civil society organisation.  Due to our extremely limited operational budget, all participants and presenters attending the Amelia Conference are responsible for their own registration fees, travel and accommodation expenses travelling to, and while in, Italy.