Welcome to ASMS 2009

Good morning, and welcome to this, the opening day of LCGC’s and Spectroscopy’s ASMS E-Show Dailies from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the next three days, we will be covering all that is new and exciting at ASMS this year, from technical sessions to plenary lectures to the social networking that is a big part of any conference.

For in this day and age of contracting conferences and diminished attendance, ASMS is a rare exception, as its popularity continues to grow and attendance remains strong. This is no doubt due to the cutting-edge nature of the technology on display and the research being presented, as mass spectrometry and its attendant hyphenated techniques are only increasing in popularity. However, credit must also be given to conference organizers, who maintain high standards and always present a first class event, year after year.

Personally, I am planning to attend as many sessions as possible this week and meet with colleagues I otherwise wouldn’t see in person for many more weeks or even months. However, no trip to ASMS would be complete without a thorough tour of the hospitality suites. This is one of the things that makes ASMS unique, as the flow of friends and colleagues going from room to room makes for an experience like no other in the conference industry. For anyone who might be wondering, the suites will be open Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights in the Marriott Hotel (connected to the Philadelphia Convention Center) from 6:30 pm to 11 pm, and many of the most well known vendors in the field will be hosting receptions. I would recommend taking a walk through the hotel ballrooms on any or all of the three evenings, as you will be sure to encounter a countless number of vendors and colleagues.

In the meantime, we hope you find the information contained in this meeting report helpful and we hope you enjoy Day 1 of ASMS. And of course, please stop by our booth (#39) if you get the chance, and say hello any time.