Dear Friends and Colleagues of IFBLS,

In 2012 we will gather in Berlin, Germany to celebrate our 30th World Congress meeting. We last gathered in Berlin in 1966, thus it will have been 46 years since IFBLS last convened a Congress meeting in Germany. Many changes have taken place in both biomedical laboratory science as a profession and within our organization. The opportunity to return to Germany to renew IFBLS ties to the European continent makes this 2012 Congress an important event to attend.

The Congress venue is the Maritim proArte Hotel. Our German hosts, Annette Artelt and dvta have assembled a superb organizing team. There is no doubt their efforts will produce a superb scientific program that will be attractive to all IFBLS delegates. In addition, we look forward to the social and tour programs for delegates and accompanying guests that will highlight the cultural, culinary and geographical features of Berlin, the local province and Germany as a whole. Paragon Conventions has been contracted to serve as the Professional Congress Organizer (PCO) for the Congress.

As you begin to think about making your plans to attend the 30th IFBLS World Congress, we would like you to keep in mind that it is very important to bring as many of your students to the Congress as possible. Remember today's students are tomorrow's biomedical scientists, thus they may serve as IFBLS delegates and/or Chief Delegates at future Congress meetings.

The Student Forum conducted during our 2010 Congress meeting in Nairobi was very productive with many important ideas and suggestions put forward for future discussion. IFBLS would like to see this momentum maintained in Berlin with a well-attended Student Forum; however, this will not happen without your support. Prepare now so that you may bring your students! I very much look forward to meeting with you and all of your students when we gather in Berlin in 2012.

Vincent S. Gallicchio, Ph.D.
IFBLS President