How the other half live

Advances in nucleic acid detection and quantification

In a previous incarnation working for a well-known but now defunct government department, it was my misfortune to have to organise small meetings and conferences. Getting the right venue and more importantly coffee and tea to a number of people is difficult... Yesterday I went to see the proposed venue for the meeting (Hinxton Hall at the Sanger Centre, just outside Cambridge). Very impressive and it seems like a good place for a conference. More importantly, the catering is part of the package.
I'm a bit concerned that there might be a "Noordwijkerhout" effect*. The Sanger Centre is isolated, and although I have found conferences in London to be disappointing in that the delegates disappear into the city as soon as the talks are over, perhaps the hot-housing effect might be a bit much for some.
Anyway, a full page advert for the conference should appear in Nature soon, so we should get one or two people attending.

*The Netherlands Research Council, TNO, has/had a conference facility near the sea at Noordwijkerhoudt. While there have been many fine meetings there, most non-Dutch attendees find the isolation of the place disconcerting. On the map it doesn't look that far from Amsterdam, but once you are there it gives a very good impression of being on the edge of the world.