London 2010 - our best Conference yet!
itSMF UK are celebrating the conclusion of their most successful Conference to date. Nearly 700 delegates packed into the Novotel London West on 8th-9th November to enjoy a programme of over 40 presentations and keynotes and a bustling ITSM exhibition.
"This was our first Annual Conference in London," said CEO Designate Ben Clacy, "and I couldn't be more delighted with the result. We were also really pleased with the number of overseas visitors who joined the event this year, including representatives from over 20 other chapters. I would like to say a big thank you to all our sponsors and exhibitors, without whom the Conference would not have been possible. Many thanks too to the speakers and delegates who made this a Conference to remember."
The opening keynote was presented by adventurer and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes (pictured below), who captivated the audience with his dry humour and warmth as he described his breath-taking travels across the deserts and frozen continents of the world. The sheer commitment and determination demonstrated by Fiennes and his companions as they pushed human endurance to new levels was an inspiration to all and highlighted the importance of team-working and leadership in any discipline.
Other keynote sessions were provided by James Staten, vice-president of Forrester Research, who offered a fascinating insight into the practical application of cloud computing, and ITIL chief architect Sharon Taylor, who provided a glimpse into the future of service management.
On the Monday evening the Conference played host to the prestigious ITSM Awards Dinner. This year the Master of Ceremonies was impressionist Jon Culshaw, who delighted the audience with comic versatility as he introduced each of the awards. Following the tradition of past years, the event included a charity raffle which raised an impressive £2200 for this year's beneficiary, the Hammersmith Academy.
Bringing the Conference to a close on the Tuesday afternoon, itSMFUK chair Barry Corless and Events ESC chair Don Page thanked all those who had helped to make the event a success and said they were looking forward to inviting everyone back next year... same time, same place!
More Conference news and pictures in the next issue of ServiceTalk.
