Biomedical Science Congress: a commercial perspective, past, present and future

Following three hectic days in September at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, your IBMS Company Members committee would like to offer an overview that it would hope reflects the views of the majority of the commercial scientific industry involved with the Institute of Biomedical Science. It should be noted that the following comments are not the views or opinions of any single member of the industry, but a collective summary gleaned from many discussions and observations made over the three days of the IBMS Biomedical Science Congress. In other words, do not shoot the messenger!

Past in perspective
It is always important to remember where all of this came from, as well as to consider where it is going. The Institute, then known as the Pathological and Bacteriological Laboratory Assistants’ Association (PBLAA) was formed in Liverpool on 6 January 1912. The concept of a national conference was first suggested by Sir German Sims Woodhead, PBLAA president in 1921, and the first meeting was held in 1924 in Edinburgh, and attracted 54 members. While the PBLAA was founded in the city of Liverpool, little would the founders have known what a significant part Liverpool would play 80 years later in 1992.

The meetings continued every three years and was hosted in many cities – Cambridge, Manchester, London (1933 – first official trade show), Nottingham, Bristol, Harrogate, Belfast, Aberdeen, Stirling, Liverpool (1977 – Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in this year as well!). Year on year, attendance grew, reaching over 2000 at the Warwick Triennial in 1989. Three years later, in 1992, the Triennial ‘roadshow’ returned to Liverpool.