World Conference on Sampling and Blending WCSB10, June 2022: broadest scientific coverage ever, excited in-person attendees and a 1000-year historical closure

Abstract

Published under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND licence The world community of sampling has reasons to celebrate. The 10th World Conference on Sampling and Blending (WCSB10) took place between 31 May and 2 June 2022 in Kristiansand, Norway. It was the first physical gathering of members of the international sampling community in 2.5 years. A total of 121 in-person attendees from 20 nations together with 19 online attendees who, for one reason or other, could not travel to Norway. In the summer of 2021 when prospects for in-person gatherings of this magnitude were distinctly bleak, the organisational committee nevertheless made a deliberate decision to prepare for success and to go all out for an in-person conference. As it turned out, this paid off beautifully; a total attendance of 140 is right on par with several earlier conferences. From many personal reactions and statements, it was clear that the international sampling community had been starved of physical interaction. Again and again, delegates declared their excited satisfaction over simply being together again and being able to freely interact vis-à-vis one-another—to the delight of the scientific and organising committees.