IMYB – International Meeting of Young Beekeepers ®

is an annual meeting ensured by a multinational non-profit community for young people interested in beekeeping. Even though the event started in 2010 as an initiative of a few countries from central Europe lead by the Czech Republic, it has gained a large popularity and has become the largest international meeting for young beekeepers worldwide.

It is designed for participants in the age from 12 to 18 who compare their knowledge and skills, establish new friendships and find more about other countries and cultures during usually a four-day meeting.

So far, ten annual meetings of IMYB have already been held:

  • 1st in the Czech Republic – 2010
  • 2nd in Austria – 2011
  • 3rd in the Czech Republic – 2012
  • 4th in Germany – 2013
  • 5th in Poland – 2014
  • 6th in Slovakia – 2015
  • 7th in the Czech Republic – 2016
  • 8th in England – 2017
  • 9th in France – 2018
  • 10th in Slovakia – 2019
  • 11th in the Czech Republic – 2022

and about 36 different countries coming from Europe as well as from other continents have participated and represented their national colours. Among these countries are the following ones – Albania, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bosna and Hercegovina, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Moldova, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine and Wales.

The meeting itself is a combination of a competition focused on beekeeping and a diverse social and cultural program during which the participants can socialize and tighten their contacts.

 

The competition

The competition consists of several practical as well as academic disciplines and it tests the knowledge and skills of young participants. However, the goal of the meetings is not just the competition itself, but mainly to motivate young beekeepers, promote the idea of beekeeping among them as well as to provide them with social and cultural experience.

Their passion, interest and skills will help to preserve the future of beekeeping and move it forward. At the same time, the IMYB experience is for many participants the first trip abroad without their parents and it creates a strong emotional experience which can influence their future life path. These meetings help to interconnect significant topics such as bees, ecology, young generation or creation of united world.

IMYB is not only an annual meeting but it also supports exchanges between families, schools, cities and other organisations and it also creates nice friendships between people with similar interests.

“The future of beekeeping is in hands of the young generation”