GASG organises 3 themed technical meetings each year, which focus on the latest developments in gas/VOC/particle sensing and analysis. These are usually held in Spring, Summer and December (incorporating the AGM). Our speakers are leading UK and international experts in their fields who present the latest results and information, often prior to wider release. Attendees typically include manufacturers, users, research organisations and academic representatives with common interests.
We also periodically host Early Career Researchers meetings specifically to provide newcomers to the field with direct access to advice from their peers and other experienced colleagues. These allow the upcoming generation of developers and researchers in gas/VOC/particle detection to showcase an eclectic mix of short talks or posters with prizes awarded for the best presentations.
We aim to provide a friendly and inclusive forum for discussion and dissemination of information on all aspects of sensing, analysis and monitoring of gases, VOCs and particles. Our meetings have featured over 500 presentations, dealing with subjects as diverse as the olfactory capabilities of dogs and bees, spectroscopic detection of gases in exoplanet atmospheres and the role of gas analysis in the early diagnosis and management of disease.
A key feature of all GASG meetings is the provision of ample opportunity for attendees to discuss current issues with speakers and each other in an informal atmosphere during breaks in the programme. This has proven to be a popular aspect of our meeting format for over 30 years. Most members still prefer to attend in person whenever possible, due to the benefits of face to face discussions. However, we also offer the option for online attendance – our meetings now have a hybrid format, and audiences can benefit from expertise on a global scale provided by speakers from other countries and time zones. On occasions, joint meetings have been held with other professional organisations having parallel interests, so enhancing further the benefits to attendees. These have included the Sensors for Water Interest Group (SWIG), the Optical Sensors Collaborative Association (OSCA), the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the National Physical Laboratory. Presentations and recordings from our meetings are made available to members (where possible and subject to author approval), and our Newsletters contain summaries of key points from each meeting.
A wide variety of venues and organisations across the UK have hosted GASG meetings, and wherever possible, tours of facilities are included in the programme since these are highly valued by members. Well over 50 different venues have hosted meetings, including leading sensor manufacturing sites, major technical research centres, university departments, a hospital, a naval dockyard and a brewery! We always aim to provide good lunch options so that the networking sessions are as enjoyable as possible!
