The joint annual meeting of the Geological Society and the German Mineralogical Society was held in Tübingen from September 15 to 19, 2013, and kicked off on Sunday evening with an icebreaker party. Impressively—though unfortunately also rather cramped—the party took place in the Paleontological Collection of the Department of Earth Sciences, where, in addition to plenty of drinks and delicious hors d’oeuvres, attendees could also admire the numerous exhibits.
The conference program, divided into eleven thematic areas featuring lectures and poster presentations, kicked off with great enthusiasm on Monday morning at the Institute of Earth Sciences on Hölderlinstraße. Minor criticisms, such as the confusing program booklet or the overlapping schedules of certain topics, were few and far between and were more than offset by many positive aspects. The industrial exhibition—sponsored by companies and publishers—was diverse, with hot and cold beverages, fruit, and appetizers freely available at all times. The breaks provided ample time to explore Tübingen’s historical and culinary offerings. And the free Wi-Fi, which has become a given these days, was another plus. One minor drawback concerned the poster presentations: the plan for each presenter to stand by their poster during each presentation was implemented only to a very limited extent. The public lecture was delivered by Michael Schnellmann and proved to be a great asset, as expressed by the many attendees—this also applies to the well-chosen film “SWITCH,” which drew a large crowd.
A highlight of the conference was the conference dinner, which impressed not only with its ambiance in the Rottenburg Festhalle but also with the excellent food, which met the highest standards. The well-conceived musical accompaniment that evening was provided by a young jazz band; unfortunately, their performance—which could be heard from a distance—dampened conversations among the participants and led to an early end to the event.
A conference like this, which can be considered a success on the whole, involves a great deal of work and should therefore be remembered fondly. Special mention must be made here of the many students, without whose dedication during the conference (and presumably also in the lead-up and follow-up) everything would not have run so smoothly.
Julia Petrikis