Observation on the 2015 EGU in Vienna

It's the first time to come to the European countries, of course the first time to Vienna. The official language in Austria is German. Many road direction guides and store banners or signs are in German language and have no English, so it's very inconvenient for one who doesn't understand German. In spite of that, one can guess the meaning of the German signs and guides because German and English are all latin-derived.

Austria declared to remain neutral after the World War II, and Vienna, the capital city of Austria becomes one of the four UN headquarters. The UN headquarter building and the Austria Center (where the European Geoscieces Union conference was held) stand side by side.

The EGU conference center, the EGU organization, and the conference contents have greatly impressed me!

1. Conference site arrangement.

Although more than twelve thousand people attended this conference, it didnot look crowded at all. Everything seems to be in order. It is because it has many entrance and outlets, its signs are clear and easy to understand, and the space arrangement is reasonable.

I can't remember how many stories the conference center has, but I can clearly remember it has a large basement, a wide ground floor, and many different sizes of meeting rooms.The basement of the conference center is connected to the basement of another building and people can move inside freely.

Different stories of the conference center are marked in different colors, blue for the basement, yellow for the ground floor ( we call the first floor), green for the first floor, red for the second floor, and the elevator buttons to indicate the floors are marked in respective colors. So people can easily find the corresponding meeting rooms when they are marked Room B11, Y12, G2, or R21 in the conference guides. And the different stories' rooms have quite different functions too.

Generally the basement is for display and exhibition. A great deal of display and communication by posters and Picos are held in the the basement (one pico site is in the first floor of another buidling), especially for the young scientists. Picture exhibition and movies are in the basement too. Generally those who display their research achievements with only posters are young scientists. So they need get to higher position by starting from the base!

Other floors also have poster area. They are the supplementary of the presentation.

The exhibition hall in the ground floor (the yellow zone) is for profit companies and industries because it has better display effect. Some large publication press such as Springer, Elsivier, IOP have display shelves and counters here.Google and other famous equipment and facility providers are displayed in the place just close to the main entrance hall so that they can attract more visitors.

The non-profit institutions are diplayed in the first floor (we call the second floor, the green zone). Many journal editors are here to showcase their journals and promote their journals. Nature publishing house is here too. I also noticed some research institutes and universities to display here too, such as one South Korean geoscience institute, and one Chinese university.

2. Conference forms and contents

Many academic conference held in China only attract researchers or students to attend. The 2015 EGU has attacted different kinds of people to attend, researchers, policymakers, educators, editors, company managers and workers, postdoc, Ph D students, master students.  It looks like a large free market. Here you can sell your products, share your thoughts, ideas, show your talents, or make friends. Even for presention, it is in many different forms: formal ppt presentation, posters, picos, fossil exhibition, award picture exhibition. It can be in a large room with more than 100 attendees, and it can be in a small room which can only hold less than 20 people. It can be formal presentaion, or informal seminar, or free discussion. It includes the EGU plenary conference, the division conference, great debate, news press, editorial board meetings, and ect..

3. Conference spirit

No matter the EGU Plenary conference, division meetings, splinter meetings , the great debate, or the posters and picos, they are only the difference of presentation. Everywhere you can see the equal, open, and free debate or discussion.  That's the core that attracts me most!

Students or young scientists take out their research results to display, to invite open discussion and  debate, and then they may modify their next research design by absorbing the public opinions. Old prefossors also actively participate in the discussion and communication!This is a great way to inspire innovation!

The Austria Center conference complex

Notice on the EGU conference

Outside the main building of the Austria Center

Guide to the conference hall

Main entrance of the conference center

The ground floor seen from overhead

Different colors to show different floors. The arrangements and  guides are  easy to follow.

Show the prize winners

The EGU plenary conference

Division meeting

a great debate

Best picture exibition

Non profit institutions for showcasing their work

Facility exhibition

Springer's exhibition counter

Our journal (Journal of Mountain Science) was placed in the front of the display shelf.

A Chinese University to recruit talents here

Free talk area

Posters

Posters

Posters

Posters

Posters

Picos

Note: Pico (Presenting Interactive Content) is a new type of way to share and display one's research ideas and achievements. It is composed of short PPT presentation first (only two minutes in this EGU), and then a display in the electronic screen. The reporter can have a thorough discussion with those who are interested in your research or products or thoughts.