Celebrating the present, looking to the future
On 20th March, the NBN Trust held a special event to celebrate the NBN partnership.
The event, “A quarter of a billion records project – celebrating the present, looking to the future”, was arranged to celebrate the NBN partnership (formed in 2000) and the roles that each individual organisation plays, as well as the tools that have been developed so far. It also looked forward to what can be achieved in the future, as we aim to reach 250 million records in the coming years. The event was also held as part of National Science and Engineering Week.
The event was opened by a short address from the NBN Trust’s Patron, Lord Selborne and Chairman, Michael Hassell.
In his opening address, Michael mentioned the increasing number of small and large organisations which share their data through the NBN Gateway and the fact that achieving 100 million records is not too far away, “so that the 250 million in the title to this evening’s event is not all that fanciful”.
After this, the guests were free to visit the display stands and demonstrations which showcased the NBN, its many partners and how the data are being used in practical or novel ways. Stand holders represented NBN partners from conservation organisations, the research community, government related projects, local and national recording schemes, local record centres, commercial and public facing initiatives as well as showing the technical tools available through the NBN. The aim was to not overly focus on any one aspect, but to show the diversity of current and ongoing activities to which the NBN is actively contributing.
We are delighted to report that the event was well attended with around 150 guests and it seems to have been enjoyed by all. We were also pleased to welcome the Minister Richard Benyon MP, who enjoyed hearing the views of a wide range of participants.
Many of the invited guests were new to the NBN and would not normally be expected to have attended our usual conferences, so it was good to be reaching a new and varied audience.
Some of the photographs of the event are shown below.
If you attended the event and would like to see more of the photos please contact us.
