AACC/ASCLS Atlanta

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

It's that time of year again, where the usual and not-so-usual suspects of the laboratory world gather and discuss science - mixed in with a healthy dose of commerce. We have just returned (and are still recovering from) the annual AACC/ASCLS meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

James O. Westgard at the Westgard QC booth for the 2011 AACC/ASCLS exhibition

 More pictures and details of the convention after the jump...

This year we spoke with over 700 people at the meeting, if you include those who attended the Method Evaluation workshop, or the Abbott Industry Workshop (Enhancing Laboratory Operations through Analytical Quality and Informatics) or the Bio-Rad Industry Workshop (Quality Control for the Future), and of course all the people who took the time to visit the Westgard QC booth.

[Full disclosure: Dr. Westgard was compensated for his participation in the Bio-Rad Industry Workshop. Sten Westgard was compensated for his participation in the Abbott Industry Workshop.]

In other words, we were busy.

A lull in activity at the booth. Just one person asking about books, and only person trying to have a serious discussion about quality with Dr. Westgard.

Given all the activity, we asked Liesje Goldschmidt to help out at the booth for part of the exhibition. Leisje is the daughter of Dr. Henk Goldschmidt - the organizer behind the annual Quality in the Spotlight conference in Antwerp. Liesje is a marketing expert in her own right, and much more outgoing than us mild-mannered midwesterners, so she was a perfect addition to our booth staff.

The Westgard QC 2011 booth staff: Sten, James, Liesje "an honorary Westgard for the meeting" Goldschmidt, and Joan

The new item Westgard QC was exhibiting was the latest book on Six Sigma Risk Analysis. While we await EP23 to become final and public, this new book gives laboratories not only a headstart on learing Risk Analysis techniques, but advocates also a more quantitative, data-driven approach than the usual Risk Management tools.

Our most-thumbed book of the show: Six Sigma Risk Analysis.

We'll put up some more convention pictures in another day or two.