Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 4 December 2024
Remarks of ICPE 2024
Chun Fai Leung
Chair, ICPE 2024 Organizing Committee
Immediate Past President, IPA
Chair, ICPE 2024 Organizing Committee
Immediate Past President, IPA
In October 2022, Singapore was chosen as the venue for ICPE2024. The Conference Organizing Committee was soon formed, and working with IPA Secretariat for the preparation, organization, and financing of ICPE2024. To keep the conference registration fee affordable, the University Town of the National University of Singapore with excellent conference/meeting facilities was chosen as the venue. The National University of Singapore, Geotechnical Society of Singapore, and Tunnelling and Underground Construction Society of Singapore were invited to be the co-organizers of the conference together with IPA as the main event organizer. Members from the co-organizers enjoyed the same preferential fee as IPA members.
Bulletin 1 with the Call for Abstracts were circulated in early 2023. The number of abstracts was rather low at the beginning and the deadline for abstracts has to be extended by several months. Eventually over 60 abstracts were received, which were about the same as previous two ICPE conferences. The Call for Sponsorships also did not fare well at the beginning. Fortunately, many sponsorships were forthcoming within the last few months of ICPE2024 to be held in July 2024. The sponsorships had exceeded the expected amount such that a conference banquet with drinks could be held during the conference. The Bulletin 2 Call for Participation of Delegates were circulated in early 2024. Much of the conference delegates only registered for the conference in May/June 2024. The good news is that over 200 participants from 17 countries eventually attended the conference. The rather late forthcoming abstracts, sponsorships, and conference registrations probably reflect the post COVID-19 culture whereby authors, companies and delegates took time to decide for their action.
At the conference, delegates did enjoy the conference sessions very much with plenty of interactions among the delegates and the keynote speakers as well as paper presenters. Many happy faces were noticed at the conference sessions, tea breaks, and particular over drinks and food at the conference banquet which proves to be a happy occasion for renewing friendships and meeting new friends and contacts. The delegates also liked the exhibits by the sponsors as they learned many of the latest press-in techniques and new types of sheet piles and steel tubular piles commercially available. The last date of the conference ended with a visit to Guan Chuan Company Headquarter to visualize the demonstration of press-in technique very close to existing structures and gyro penetration into hard ground. It was certainly an eye-opening for many conference participants, particularly for those from Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Last but not least, I wish to acknowledge the great efforts of the Conference Organizing Committee, the IPA Secretariat, the conference sponsors, and persons who had contributed to the success of the conference organization.
Bulletin 1 with the Call for Abstracts were circulated in early 2023. The number of abstracts was rather low at the beginning and the deadline for abstracts has to be extended by several months. Eventually over 60 abstracts were received, which were about the same as previous two ICPE conferences. The Call for Sponsorships also did not fare well at the beginning. Fortunately, many sponsorships were forthcoming within the last few months of ICPE2024 to be held in July 2024. The sponsorships had exceeded the expected amount such that a conference banquet with drinks could be held during the conference. The Bulletin 2 Call for Participation of Delegates were circulated in early 2024. Much of the conference delegates only registered for the conference in May/June 2024. The good news is that over 200 participants from 17 countries eventually attended the conference. The rather late forthcoming abstracts, sponsorships, and conference registrations probably reflect the post COVID-19 culture whereby authors, companies and delegates took time to decide for their action.
At the conference, delegates did enjoy the conference sessions very much with plenty of interactions among the delegates and the keynote speakers as well as paper presenters. Many happy faces were noticed at the conference sessions, tea breaks, and particular over drinks and food at the conference banquet which proves to be a happy occasion for renewing friendships and meeting new friends and contacts. The delegates also liked the exhibits by the sponsors as they learned many of the latest press-in techniques and new types of sheet piles and steel tubular piles commercially available. The last date of the conference ended with a visit to Guan Chuan Company Headquarter to visualize the demonstration of press-in technique very close to existing structures and gyro penetration into hard ground. It was certainly an eye-opening for many conference participants, particularly for those from Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Last but not least, I wish to acknowledge the great efforts of the Conference Organizing Committee, the IPA Secretariat, the conference sponsors, and persons who had contributed to the success of the conference organization.
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