Welcome to the agenda for this the biggest iSeries show this side of the Atlantic! This year Common Europe’s annual conference is coming to Cardiff, in Wales – why Wales? There are many reasons.

The vast majority of people speak English, however you are likely to encounter the Welsh language, as it appears on most public signs, alongside English. The Welsh language has the dubious honour of the worlds longest place name, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Just don’t ask me to pronounce it!
Welsh is one of the oldest languages in Europe, and the country has a rich history interwoven with many myths and legends. In fact there are strong links to the famous King Arthur and the magician Merlin. If you get a chance to take a holiday and visit other parts of Wales then I highly recommend that you take the time to do so.

The conference will be held in the Cardiff International Arena. Cardiff is Europe’s youngest city and has undergone a large regeneration over the past decade. Despite this, there is still a fairy tale castle in the middle of the city. This will be a fantastic opportunity to obtain all the information about the iSeries you need, in one place. It is also a good chance to meet iSeries users from across Europe and see how other companies are getting the most out of their existing systems.

Our profession can sometimes seem like a thankless task, users always wanting more, never appreciating what goes on during the day and night in back office systems. As well as learning new skills and technologies the Common Europe Conference is your chance to share your successes with other professionals, thus providing one of the most important advantages of such an event, peer interchange of knowledge.

Pat Flannery
President of Common Europe