IHDP Open Meetings allow for broad scientific outreach. Since 1995, the conferences have grown into the world's larget international science conference series dealing with the societal aspects of global environmental change. With scientific, policy, and public events held within a few days, numerous audiences are reached with significant impact. The meeting help define the state-of-the-art of human dimensions research. It is here that the community outlines research agendas, theoretical frameworks and methodologies. Further, national workshops, regional networking activities and training seminars attached to our Open Meetings have substantially increase the human dimensions research community over the past decade.