On behalf of the 2008 Organising Committee

The University of the West of England (UWE) and the University of Bristol co-hosted the 37th Annual Conference of the British Society of Gerontology on ‘Sustainable Futures in an Ageing World’ from 4th to 6th September.

The event attracted over 270 delegates from across the UK, Europe, Australasia and North America. Plenary sessions were provided by Alex Kalache, former head of the Ageing and Life Course Programme at the World Health Organization who reflected on population ageing from a global perspective; Miriam Bernard, Professor of Social Gerontology at Keele University who spoke on the development of new retirement villages; and Professor Graham Rowles of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky who discussed how the Baby Boom generation is redefining its experience of place in old age.

The conference dinner was held at the Victoria Rooms of the University of Bristol where Tony Benn proved to be an immensely popular after dinner speaker as he addressed modern political and global challenges from the perspective of someone in their eighties.

Overall feedback sheets suggest the conference was a big success despite the logistical problems of the first day and the terrible weather throughout. Unusually, BSG is using the same venue for 2009 and so the organising team have a massive incentive to try and respond as best they can to the really helpful suggestions on how things can be improved for next year.

The theme next year will be ‘Culture, Diversity and Ageing’ and will be held from 2nd to 4th September 2009. We very much hope to see everyone back for that event as well as welcoming other delegates who were unable to come in 2008. I have now handed over the chairing of the organising committee to Simon Evans, although I will be remaining very much part of the organising team.