The Second EuroALMA Conference
September 2000
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
From September 5th to 8th, 2000, the second European Analytical Laboratory Managers Association (EuroALMA) Conference was held in the historical city Zeist, The Netherlands. The American Analytical Laboratory Managers Association (ALMA) and the Analytical Laboratory Management (ALM), a working group of the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV), hosted this Conference.
In 1997 an initiative was started to address European ALMA members in order to assess the desire to start EuroALMA. A first conference was successfully held in Oslo, Norway, in November 1998. ALM is a working group of the section Analytical Chemistry of the KNCV. The ALM aims to be a forum for analytical laboratory managers with budget and personal responsibilities in The Netherlands. The group organizes meetings, focussing on managerial and technical aspects, with subjects in the area of personal, quality, automation, benchmarking, education, equipment, etc.
Organzing Committee
The organizing committee was a cross-functional team, originating from various businesses (industry, consultants, academia, institutes), working on a voluntary basis. Taking into account that the organization was a remote team working performance (the committee met only once before the conference), using the modern ICT-tools (E-mail, Fax, teleconferencing), the result was an efficient and effective organized conference.
Program
The challenge of the organizing committee was to provide a two-day conference that would “add value to the business” the theme of the conference. Prior to the conference three workshops were organized, allowing participants to obtain more knowledge on managing analytical laboratories, also from a quality or global perspective.
The conference program focussed on three topics: Development of the Analytical Laboratory, Quality Assurance, and People Management. Many lecturers were able to give an enthusiastic contribution to an interesting overall program. During the lunches and coffee breaks lively discussions and exchange of experiences and information were conducted. This “networking” was stimulated and supported in an environment of exhibition booths, manned by dedicated and supporting sponsors and exhibitors who took the opportunity to join the EuroALMA Conference. The exhibitors included Agilent Technologies, TANVEC Ltd., Dionex Corporation, Domnik Hunter Ltd., Skalar Analytical BV, and Waters Chromatography BV.
In addition to the lectures, panel discussions were organized. These discussions resulted in “food for thought” action steps for the participants to think about and work on. To further stimulate the discussions and interactions, a social program was organized offering a banquet dinner at the Zeist Castle; a unique seventeenth century Castle situated in a natural area with historically restored interiors. The intimate location and menu enabled the managers a more thorough exchange of ideas in a relaxing setting.
In order “to do things better tomorrow than today,” the participants were asked to fill in evaluation forms of the conference. As a general conclusion, the conference was regarded as very successful and fruitful. With respect to suggestions for improvement the set-up of round table discussions is preferred over panel discussions, and with respect to timing of the conference Spring is preferred over autumn.
Next EuroALMA in 2002
It can now be reported that the next conference will be organized for May 2002 in Berlin, Germany.
On behalf of the organizing committee, all the participants, lecturers and sponsors are highly appreciated for their contributions that made the EuroALMA Conference 2000 (Zeist, The Netherlands) a success. We would like to invite all for the next EuroALMA Conference in Berlin, 2002.
Alexander Debets
EuroALMA 2000 President
EuroALMA 2000, September 6-8, 2000, Zeist