Well, another successful year of LabAutomation has come and gone! The conference has come a long way since it's beginnings 11 years ago in San Diego and is still robust and growing. Total conference attendance was a record 4600, up from 4182 last year. Thirty-nine countries were represented, up from 35 last year, reflecting the increasing globalization of our industry. There were 100 podium presentations, 159 posters displayed and 397 exhibit booths. These numbers are similar to last year even though submitted abstracts rose 15% and there is a waiting list for exhibitors, because the ALA chooses to focus on increasing the quality and relevance of the program rather than on increasing size. In fact, many have commented that they feel LabAutomation is "right sized", and would not want to see it grow to become a "mega conference". Rest assured that the ALA mission is to bring quality educational opportunities to the membership and the field as a whole, and so the focus will always be on "right sized".

Of course, the ALA is always seeking other, creative ways to bring value to conference attendees. This year there were multiple workshops on trends and issues in the industry as well as career development. The career center continues to grow as a place to connect employers with potential employees. The joint venture "Late Night with LRIG" offered an excellent rapid-fire way to see what's new from technology providers. Innovation aveNEW was an experiment where the ALA actually seeks participation from and provides exhibit space to very young technology companies who are bringing innovation to the market. The ALA seeks to encourage and recognize innovative work via sponsoring or facilitating several awards, the newest of which was the ALA New Product Award (NPA) Designation. And of course, I'm sure you all noticed that the Lab Man was in the member center doing interviews of awardees. You can enjoy these podcasts via this website! This month, I feature the three ALA NPA Designation winners. Later podcast editions will focus on workforce development issues and the overall student poster winner, to name just a few topics stemming from LabAutomation2007.

What were some of my impressions at this year's conference? After all, the Lab Man is first and foremost a scientist and practitioner of laboratory automation, and only lately a Larry King wannabe. I'm struck by the continued growth of technology providers in our field and the maturity and sophistication of the current commercial offerings. When the LabAutomation conference started there were many fewer choices for commercial automation, and what was available was clearly just a step above a prototype. Naturally, consolidation is occurring as technology-providing companies are acquired by or merge with other companies. This should lead to some more full-featured, well-funded and stable entities to help take our field into the future. But the emergence of these conglomerates doesn't seem to be slowing the number of startup or new entrants to the field, which is a healthy sign.

The wide mix of podium topics confirms an emergence from a period where the focus in our field was largely dominated by HTS and the pharma industry. These trends come and go, and undoubtedly in another five years some other field will be demanding all our attention. From the Lab Man's view through the fullness of time, it's obvious that laboratory automation and technology provide a "glue" that permeates throughout scientific R&D. The specific technical focus meanders as needs and technology change, but the overall demand for improving productivity and facilitating the asking and answering scientific questions does not diminish ? in fact it increases. Laboratory automation will always continue to be an interdisciplinary field, and thus conferences like LabAutomation will always be essential in providing a unique interdisciplinary educational opportunity.

We'll see you next year as LabAutomation 2008 returns to sunny Palm Springs, January 26-30. Football fans can then make the short drive to Phoenix to attend the Superbowl the following weekend! Perhaps game tickets will the grand prize in the member center (a hint to ALA mgmt!!)??

As always, your comments are welcome and encouraged! Listen to the Podcasts!!

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto