2014 AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED AT GOLDSCHMIDT GEOCHEMICAL EUROPEAN GS/EAG 2014 GS/EAG GEOCHEMICAL FELLOWS SOCIETY ASSOCIATION OF GEOCHEMISTRY GAST LECTURER: Tim Yuri Amelin Marc Hirschmann Hiroko Nagahara GOLDSCHMIDT Elliott (University (Australian National (University of (University of Tokyo) MEDAL: Timothy UREY MEDAL: of Bristol) University) Minnesota) Grove (Massachusetts Edward Boyle Institute of Technology) (Massachusetts GEOCHEMICAL Institute of Technology) SOCIETY OF JAPAN Martin Palmer Richard Arculus Rebecca Lange (University of (Australian National (University of Southampton) PATTERSON MEDAL: University) Michigan) Christopher Reddy SCIENCE INNOVATION GEOCHEMICAL (Woods Hole AWARD (SAMUEL JOURNAL AWARD: Oceanographic EPSTEIN MEDAL): Hiroshi Amakawa Institution) James Farquhar (National Taiwan (University University) of Maryland) SHEN-SU SUN FOUNDATION Adina Paytan Shan Gao (China Bernard Marty (University of University of (CRPG Nancy) California, Santa Cruz) Geosciences) CLARKE MEDAL: Matthew Jackson (University of HOUTERMANS California, Santa MEDAL: Liping Qin Barbara) (University of Science SHEN-SU SUN AWARD: and Technology of Peng Peng (Chinese China) Academy of Sciences) Robert Hazen (Carnegie Institution for Science) The GS and EAG are GS/EAG GEOCHEMICAL FELLOWS BY PATTERSON AND SCIENCE INNOVATION AWARDS also pleased to announce that all current and future recipients of the Geochemical Society’s C.C. Patterson Award and the EAG’s Science Innovation Award will Robert F. Anderson R. Lawrence George W. Luther III Jeffrey P. Kei Hirose (Tokyo also be named GS/ (Columbia University) Edwards (University of (University of Delaware) Severinghaus Institute of Technology) EAG Geochemical Minnesota) (University of Fellows. Past recipi- California, San Diego) ents who have not yet been named Geochemical Fellow will be presented with the honor during a ceremony at the Goldschmidt2014 Kenneth Bruland Stefan Schouten Daniel Sigman (University of William F. Fitzgerald (Royal Netherlands (Princeton University) conference. These California, Santa Cruz) (University of Institute for Sea William Sunda honorees are: Connecticut) Research) (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) ELEMENTS 133 APRIL 2014 ORGANIZING A GOLDSCHMIDT The Goldschmidt Conferences™ were started make in attending the meeting. Choosing an Signifi cant effort and resources are put into 25 years ago by the Geochemical Society to attractive venue is therefore vital in arranging a media program to reach out to future provide a forum for its members to discuss a successful meeting. decision makers for funding, but also to the their latest research. The European Association general media which infl uence politicians The EAG and GS want Goldschmidt Confer- of Geochemistry became involved early on, and their electorates. At Goldschmidt2013 ences to be great meetings at a reasonable cost. and since then the conference has also bene- this resulted in an enormous amount of It is important that a meeting be as effective fi tted from the involvement of other societies, coverage in the scientifi c and public media, scientifi cally and as enjoyable socially as notably the Geochemical Society of Japan, the culminating in a live broadcast on the UK’s possible, and we aim to ensure that suffi cient European Mineralogical Union and the Miner- most listened to radio station. monies are spent to ensure that a meeting is alogical Society of America. By 1996 the well resourced. However, we bargain hard to Goldschmidt wants to make the conference conference had grown to 1000 delegates, and contain costs and we negotiate strongly with as affordable as possible both for students in 2013 the meeting attracted over all suppliers. This approach seems to have the and for delegates from low-income coun- 4000 delegates. approval of our community. More than 85% tries, and therefore allocates substantial The goal of this piece is to provide a look at of those who responded to the Gold- funds to support students and delegates the details of the hard work that is done each schmidt2013 survey said that the conference from these countries. year. Typically this work goes on seamlessly was a good or excellent meeting, and fewer The major investment related to the confer- and so much behind the scenes that our than 15% would support a policy of making ence is the time of some of our community’s community is largely unaware of it. For the meeting cheaper if it would reduce top scientists, and the science program is key instance, many may not realize that the stan- its quality. to the value of the conference. If the science dard pattern now is that odd-year meetings are Putting on a high-quality conference is not program is poor then there is little point opti- organized by the EAG at European venues, cheap and forces a range of strategic choices. mizing everything else. Over 500 scientists are while even-year conferences are organized by These include: involved in optimizing the science content the GS at venues elsewhere in the world; so For a conference centre to host a Gold- and designing the science program and confer- after Sacramento this year we will visit Prague ence schedule. Once about 200 sessions have (2015) and Yokohama (2016). schmidt successfully it needs to have approximately 15–20 rooms each with been designed, they are allocated time and From previous years’ experience, we have space for about 150 seats, a plenary venue space in a way that optimizes the fl ow of infor- learned that to make a great conference we of at least 1000 seats and 7500 m² of open mation, and the programming ensures that the need to choose a great scientist to lead it, book space for the posters, exhibition and inevitable clashes between sessions are kept to an appropriate venue, employ a good confer- catering. There are very few such venues in an absolute minimum. ence administrator, and arrange an outstanding Europe, and most are not cheap. In the US The Goldschmidt Conferences invest seriously science program. An organizing committee is it is common for a city to offer a convention in poster sessions, as they are the prime events appointed to make all the key decisions on the centre for a low price knowing that the city for informal scientifi c interchange, and also arrangements for the meeting, and a science can recoup this through more expensive because presenting a poster is typically the fi rst committee manages the conference program. hotels and restaurants, and in many venues opportunity graduate students have to show The Goldschmidt Conferences have been food and drink can be very expensive. their work. Scientifi c interaction is sustained fortunate to have had a succession of senior The Goldschmidt Conferences are serious by the relaxed and social atmosphere at the scientists willing to serve on these committees. iconic Goldschmidt-style poster sessions. This Even with the most effective support provided about educating younger members of our community. Goldschmidt does this by encourages scientists at all stages of their by a professional conference-management careers to spend time with others interested company, these roles still take up a signifi cant enabling a signifi cant fraction of them to speak at the conference. While at most in the same topic. We suspect that many amount of time in the run-up to the confer- important new ideas emerge here. ence. Now that Goldschmidt works to a stan- international conferences students and dard pattern, these roles are much less most post-docs and junior faculty are allo- Goldschmidt also ensures that the conference demanding than they used to be, but no cated posters, at Goldschmidt the majority centre is a welcoming place by providing tea, less critical. of delegates who wish to can speak, and coffee and snacks throughout the day – because approximately half the presentations are you’re worth it! Goldschmidt also incorporates Following the successes of past Goldschmidts, given orally. This is great for communica- a series of social events so that the conference we are now looking for venues for the Gold- tion and education, but it is much more experience is varied and enjoyable for all. schmidts in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The ideal expensive to hire another lecture theatre venue would be one that delegates will want for 15 minutes than it is to hire an addi- Professional conference administration is a to visit, where the conference centre has an tional 2 m² of fl oor space for one more poster. critical element in the success of Goldschmidt. While a few companies have been involved appropriate size, confi guration and cost, and Goldschmidt also puts on a range of work- over the years, no single company has orga- where accommodation is plentiful, varied and shops which are administered centrally to nized more Goldschmidt Conferences, been affordable. The cost of the conference centre make it as easy as possible for their orga- more involved during the period in which is important but is not the only important nizers to gather together all the early-career attendance has quadrupled, and done more to factor. The biggest cost delegates have in workers in their fi eld and educate them embody and promote the Goldschmidt spirit attending a meeting occurs before they fi rst together. This is effi cient and economical and brand than Cambridge Publications. enter the conference centre: it is the time they for the students, as they can follow the Cambridge Publications, founded in 1994, is take away from their labs, jobs and families. course during their fi rst experience