Let the presentations begin

Walking into the stunning, hi-tech OpTIC building’s conference centre we were greeted by a huge (1.2m x 1.2m) holographic monster. Um, wow! The full-colour digital holographic creature was made by XYZ Imaging (?) and Geola. (I will double check).Technically fantastic, but rather nasty looking.

I counted about 90 in the audience as David Rimmer, the Director of the Technium OpTIC, Profs Hans Bjelkhagan and Tung Jeong, Symposium Co-Chairs, and Dr Martin Richardson the Art Chair – opened the event, welcoming us all.

TJ gave us an amusing history of his experiences as an educator in the early '70s - he had paid £1000 for a 1mW HeNe laser with a 3 month guarantee, but taught students who ended up working for Gabor. TJ then showed everyone Lake Forest Symposia photos from 1982. Audience members shouted out when they recognized someone. He welcomed new holographers into the community too. TJ will display those photos on the www.holographer.org website – look out for them.

Next – reports from the nations.