Special events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the invention of the laser, including a “Cirque du Lasaire” reception, will mark SPIE Photonics West’s first year in San Francisco. The primary photonics technical symposium and exhibition in North America is expecting a strong showing Jan. 23-28, 2010, at the Moscone Convention Center. The successful operation of Theodore Maiman’s ruby laser on May 16, 1960, marked the move of the technology into the realm of industry. Since then, the laser has become an essential tool in a plethora of applications including manufacturing, energy, medicine, communications, research and more. In addition to the “Cirque du Lasaire” reception, SPIE Photonics West will include a display of 50 years of laser equipment, a multimedia tribute to laser legends and technology leaders, the LASE best student paper and multimedia contest, an industry panel, featured talks and other activities. The northern exterior of the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco, home of SPIE Photonics West 2010.The move to San Francisco is enabling growth in the exhibition halls and the technical conferences, SPIE said, adding that sold exhibition space for both the weekend Biomedical Optics (BiOS) exhibition and the mid-week, 1000-company Photonics West exhibition already exceeds last year’s numbers. More than 3600 technical papers have been submitted, topping last year’s tally. Total attendance is expected to match or surpass the nearly 18,000 at the 2009 event, organizers said. Photonics West (Jan. 26-28) is North America’s largest exhibition for light-driven technologies. It has become the most popular event in the photonics industry for product launches, and approximately 175 companies are expected to launch products at this year’s event. Exhibitors will include several regional and national technology clusters, from New York, Arizona, Florida, Colorado and the Carolinas in the US, and from Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, France, Scotland and China. Hours for the Biomedical Optics exhibition (Jan. 23-24, 2010) have been extended this year in response to feedback from exhibit visitors. Also, for the first time, the BiOS exhibition will offer demonstration space for suppliers to present new product technology on the exhibition floor. The BiOS interactive poster session at SPIE Photonics West 2009 was well attended. (Photonics.com photo) The top international photonics conferences comprising the Photonics West technical program are organized into four symposia: Biomedical Optics (BiOS), Lasers and Applications (LASE), MOEMS-MEMS/Micro- and Nanofabrication (MOEMS-MEMS), and Optoelectronic Materials, Devices and Applications (OPTO). Featured talks by leading international researchers will include: A popular BiOS hot topics session, this year featuring reports on breast cancer therapy, intravascular OCT, molecular imaging, spectroscopy and microscopy. MOEMS-MEMS plenary talks on artificial retinas, deformable mirrors, and health-care and environmental sensing opportunities for microsystems. OPTO plenary talks on nonpolar/semipolar LEDs and other solid-state lighting advances. LASE plenary talks on attosecond-Ångstrom science and ultrafast fiber technology. Industry panels will discuss silicon photonics and optical interconnects, the solar photonics market, and the world of optics and photonics from an executive perspective.The laser celebration will include an expert panel on “The Making of an Industry: 50 Years of the Laser and Beyond,” displays of archival photographs and laser equipment, videos illustrating past achievements and future possibilities, a best-paper prize, laser entertainment and other events. SPIE is celebrating the laser anniversary through its Advancing the Laser tribute, and is a founding partner and sponsor of LaserFest, a communitywide celebration. The 2009 Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation, co-sponsored by SPIE and Laurin Publishing, will be announced at Photonics West. The awards were introduced in 2008 to recognize the best in innovative technology in optics and photonics (View the 2008 winners here). Winners in nine categories will be selected by a panel of independent expert judges. More information is available online at photonicsprismaward.com. SPIE Photonics West offers an extensive program of 65 short courses and workshops, including 15 topics new this year, for increased opportunity to upgrade skills in optics and photonics technologies. A professional development seminar will feature top-level young optics professionals speaking on leadership, communications and related topics. For more information, visit: http://spie.org/photonicswest