The first Congress of this series (Córdoba, Spain, 2007) made fungal conservation a global issue, and the second (Whitby, England, 2009) prepared the way for forming the International Society for Fungal Conservation. With its exciting programme, this third Congress will build on those achievements. It will be the first meeting of our young Society, and the first time an International Congess on Fungal Conservation has been hosted outside Europe. Protecting fungi involves science, infrastructure and politics, so those topics provide the focus for this Congress. Scientific sessions will look at threats and their impact on fungi. Workshops will develop infrastructure by spreading the skills needed for fungal conservation. Round tables will be used to develop conservation policy and make plans to implement it. The goal is a global cadre of mycologists with the same vision of protecting fungi and with the necessary skills and experience to realize that vision.