Xmark Media reports on the 2013 Photonex London Roadshow.

With the attendance topping over 200 delegates, the day proved to be an outstanding success with well-attended parallel scientific sessions complemented with a benchtop equipment exhibition.

The 2013 Photonex London Roadshow organised by Xmark Media attracted over 200 delegates to an intensive day of scientific presentations, industry-led tutorials and a comprehensive equipment exhibition establishing the model for future meetings to be held across the UK in years to come. Sponsored by the UCL-Cambridge Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) and held in the impressive setting of the North Cloisters at University College, London, the event provided visitors with excellent networking opportunities to discuss the latest developments in the world of photonics and learn about the new tools and techniques being offered by UK suppliers.

Three scientific themes dominated the meeting. Tomography continues to grow and the opening session saw presentations which showed how this is being embraced in the world of medical imaging. Using light for diagnosis and treatment gave an insight how researchers are looking to use light in areas such as the treatment of epilepsy and in oral medicine. The final thrust was in the field of super-resolution microscopy where the ability to go beyond the diffraction of light is opening up new application areas that push resolution down towards the nanoscale.

The tutorials took a change in direction for this meeting. Thanks to speakers from the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering at UCL, the meeting had an excellent overview on the application of optics for optical devices and systems. One talk showed how the ability to bend light around corners could speed up signals and improve the bandwidth of PCBs. An assortment of talks from vendors of instrumentation showed the latest photonics techniques ranging from lasers to cameras. The meeting was closed with a look into the future of photonics presented by the meeting co-organiser, Dr Cyril Renaud of the Ultra-fast Photonics Laboratory at UCL. Dr Renaud showed that while photonics could provide many of the future requirements in communication through the use of photonics, he pointed out that without government backing, the cost of putting together the necessary infrastructure would be prohibitive to private industry with so far only Japan and Korea putting in the investment needed. Perhaps the future lies with a combination of the current silicon-based semiconductor platform with the photonic functionality of III-Vs technology? Time will tell.

Commenting on the event, Professor Paul French of Imperial College London said, "I found that the meeting provided a useful snapshot of UK biophotonics activity and the exhibition had many of the companies whose products are key components to our research."

Moving forward, the UK photonics community now looks to Coventry and the 22^nd annual Photonex Conference & Exhibition to be held October 16^th & 17^th at Coventry's Ricoh Arena. Photonex is the UK's showcase event dedicated to photonics, applied optical equipment, biophotonics, fibre optics, lasers, vision & LIGHT. Organiser, Laurence Devereux, is very upbeat about this year's meeting. "While other shows have been in decline, the 2012 meeting combined with Vacuum Expo, attendance grew by more than 7%. With the exhibition rapidly selling with new companies joining for 2013, I am optimistic we will see more growth. New scientific sessions reflecting the growth in vision and imaging techniques mean that we can expect a full house in October."

For information on the 2013 Photonex Conference & Exhibition, visit www.photonex.org There are no fees to attend. Sign up now for this annual free opportunity to expand your knowledge-base in the world of photonics. And put a date in the diary for October's Photonex meeting in Coventry: The Ricoh Arena, 16^th-17^th October 2013.