I am writing this article just a few weeks before the start of Suboptic 2004. As you can imagine, the Executive Committee took many hours of debate to conclude that we should go ahead with the Convention as planned, and not lose our nerve in the face of the industry critics who forecast an empty convention centre with lacklustre papers and presentations. Once the decision was taken last year to “go for it”, we have all been holding our nerve, watching the customer reaction with a heightened awareness of the take-up of registrations, sponsorship and, of course, paper submissions. All the signs are now leading towards a vibrant and successful convention in Monaco. As I write, registrations have followed the early positive signs of substantial paper submissions and have surprised us all. Currently, with three weeks to go, registrations are totalling well over 400 from well over 100 organisations and are coming in at an increasing rate. Our recent appeal that this event is a “must attend” for the submarine community seems to have found the spot and now we, in the Executive Committee, must support Alcatel, the hosts, in every possible way to ensure that you, the participants, are able to take as much intellectual, social and business benefit from the Convention. So, for those who have already registered, thank you for your support. For those who are still weighing
SUBOPTIC
2004 By Alan Robinson
up the merits of attending, I will do my best in this article to persuade you. But please remember that this is not an ordinary Convention - it is “by” the industry and “for” the industry, and relies upon you and your participation for its ongoing strength. It only happens every three 9
years. Who knows what erudite paper or presentation will spark the gem of an idea to create a better future in our depressed state? Change breeds opportunities, and we all need more of those! Unsung heroes of every Suboptic are the Programme Committee. Chaired and quietly led by Jose Chesnoy, they have condensed an enormous demand for oral slots into 140 papers, 60 of them for 12 oral sessions, and 80 to be presented as part of the centrepiece of the convention, the Poster Session. For those doubters and critics of this session, please let me explain that Suboptic 2004 is breaking new ground with a revised format for the Posters. The Grimaldi Forum has an abundance of space, and this allows us to run a single dedicated session covering all topic areas with you, the audience, moving between the topic areas according to your needs. It enables the programme to be broadened and the audience to be mobile. This centrepiece will run from 1530 on Wednesday in the Diaghilev Area, and drinks will be served during the session. The aim is to create a less formal atmosphere than the oral sessions, allowing both the presenters and the audience to mingle and interact. This activity breaks new ground in terms of breadth of content and range of subjects, and I encourage everybody to help it become a permanent part of future Suboptic programmes.