ECOC 2006 Co-Chairs, Jean-Luc Beylat ALCATEL - (right) & Jean-Claude Simon - University of Rennes (left)

Cannes, France

Europe’s largest Conference on Optical Communications, now in its 32nd distinguished year, is coming to France this year and April deadline figures confirm a particularly high level of paper submissions.
This 2006 edition entitled “From Device to Application” and due to take place on 24-28 September, has clocked up an impressive 955 submitted papers representing a total of 4,300 contributors.
It will feature new subcommittee content with greater emphasis on optical network applications from core to broadband and access networks, including FTTx. The Conference expects to attract around 1500 delegates from more than 45 countries.
The ECOC Exhibition, which has been expanding in recent years, is also broadening its technical content this year, as optical communication moves closer to the end user in part of an overall trend towards worldwide convergence. More than 3,000 visitors are expected to attend the Exhibition this year.
One of ECOC 2006’s chief ambitions is to integrate the Conference and Exhibition to a new level of interactivity intended to provide both delegates and visitors with a broad coverage of all optical communication activities through first steps in innovation to real network deployments.
This year’s edition of ECOC expects to provide the high-quality scientific content with which the Conference has become associated over the years, including (preliminary programme): a Plenary session featuring 4 top-flight speakers, 8 Tutorials, 6 Symposia, 4 Workshops, 10 Short-courses, as well as a variety of French Riviera get-togethers with the sun and glamour that September in Cannes reliably delivers!
A particular innovation to look out for will be a special CLEO/Europe-EQEC Focus Meeting on Non-linear, Quantum and Chaotic Optics: New Directions in Photonics and Optical Communications. This new focus meeting will be specially organized by the European Physical Society for ECOC 2006, exploring new developments with strong potential for optical communication not yet featuring on the ECOC topics list.
When the Palais des Festivals isn’t busy laying on the red carpet treatment for film stars during its annual hosting of its international film festival in May, it also provides a well-equipped conference destination, ideal for ECOC requirements. Nice, with its international airport, is close to Cannes and just two hours away from most major European destinations so international accessibility is not a problem.
We look forward to giving you a warm welcome in Cannes this September.
Jean-Luc Beylat &
Jean-Claude Simon
General Co-Chairs,
ECOC 2006
All additional information on ECOC 2006, including the Conference’s new programme scope, may be consulted at: www.ecoc2006.org