By Al Kolb

In this edition of SBS News, I would like to give you an update on our conference in Seattle this past September and a recent decision on conference locations. This was our 12th annual conference and by many criteria, it was the best yet. From the point of view of attendance, I am happy to report that we had a record breaking 2914 attending! This is just a part of the overall sucess. The exhibit halls were fully booked, with a record 191 exhibiting companies, of which 45 were first-time exhibitors. There was also a record 450 posters, plus 52 company-sponsored tutorials and 10 sponsored workshops.

It was a very busy week, but many still found time to enjoy the Pike Place Market, water-front restaurants, coffee shops on every corner, and (I've been told) some nice microbreweries. The evening events organized by SBS and a number of companies also added to the opportunity to network in a relaxed atmosphere.

While all these events are an integral part of the conference, it is the quality of the scientific program that keeps people coming back. As in the past years, the sessions were of the highest quality and covered a broad range of topics related to drug discovery. This year, we added a morning of discussion groups that were very well attended and got high marks from the audiences. Another new program was a late afternoon session, the Global Health Forum. This was a rare opportunity for scientists in drug discovery to listen to a group of speakers who face the stark reality of dealing with disease in the less developed regions of the world. It was a sobering, yet inspiring afternoon. While we still have a core set of topics that many of our members support, it is the willingness to try new ideas and add topics that keeps our annual conference dynamic.

Challenges of Change
Despite the Seattle success, we still have work to do. SBS faces several challenges over the next few years with regard to the annual conference. In 2007, we make a permanent change in moving the conference to the month of april. Although many members and vendors have told us that the move is a positive one, for the next conference, we are under pressure - just seven months between meetings. Although it might be tempting to skip April in Montreal and wait until St. Louis in 2008, that would mean 18 months between meetings. Surely no one would want to wait that long, with everything that's happening in the field!

Many of our Seattle exhibitors took the opportunity to reserve space for Montreal. If this is any indication, Montreal all will be another success. In this transition year, we appreciate the continuing support for members and exhibitors alike.

Maintaining Balance
The conference is also the time when th Board of Directors has one of its four meetings each year. As reported previously in this column, the board voted to hold the 2008 conference in the United States instead of doing the usual rotation to Europe. This was to build up our financial reserves, which were reduced as a result of the high cost of the 2005 Geneve conference.

This does not mean that SBS is in a difficult financial position. We are still in good shape, but the board wants to be sure we stay that way. The issue of a European meeting has been a topic of ongoing debate. On the one hand, the continued financial health of SBS is essential in order to provide new programs to members. However, part of being an international organization means providing opportunities to the 28% of SBS members who are in Europe. Keeping this balance in mind, the board voted to hold the April 2009 conference in Europe, and the SBS staff are reviewing a number of sites in Europe that will provide the facilities required for sessions and exhibits in an attractive city that can be booked at a reasonable cost. Some compromises will have to be made, but I'm sure the result will be another fine conference of top quality science, plenty of networking and an exhibit hall featuring leading edge technologies.

Happy holidays, and I look forward to seeing you this April in Montreal.