Dear EMWA Members,

When we surged en masse onto the dance floor at the Dublin Conference Spring Dinner, supercool ceilidh band ‘Perfect Friction’ were astonished, wondering ‘…what are these medical writers all about?’ We certainly breathed life into the Irish saying ‘the craic was ninety’ (meaning – a wild and wonderful time was had by all). We may have surprised the band, but we all know that EMWA likes to surprise occasionally and push the boundaries often.

According to you, the conference was not just fun but a great success, with a continuing professional development programme of 51 workshops; the third Symposium Day on Risk Management and Risk Benefit Evaluation; the inaugural Expert Seminar Series (ESS); and a host of additional events that provided educational content tailored for you and provided value for money. You told us what you liked and shared your ideas for improvements – and we are listening as we plan The Hague November 2015 and the Munich May 2016 conferences.

In Dublin, we said thanks and farewell to retiring Executive Committee (EC) members Julia Donnelly, Sarah Choudhury, and Laura C. Collada Ali, and welcomed Alison Rapley (Vice President), Raquel Billiones (Honorary Secretary), and Beatrix Doerr (Public Relations) to the team. Dublin's energy and enthusiasm seeped into the new EC's busy first quarter, as we plan for the coming year.

To appreciate how our short-term goals fit into the longer-term planning for the association, it's important to understand some key aspirations that will underpin EMWA's growth and longevity:

• Retain experienced members
  • The ESS programme brings learning opportunities
  • Special Projects bring involvement opportunities

• Influence our industry
  • Symposium Day's inclusion of industry, patient representatives, and regulator representatives encourages dialogue, fosters positive relationships, and helps EMWA develop multidimensional perspectives
  • Symposium Day's impact is wider than EMWA
  • Links with other organisations and our social media presence increase EMWA's visibility

We are working on multiple targeted activities to meet these aspirations. More news and involvement opportunities will follow in The Hague.

Please get involved. We need volunteers to help maintain quality and deliver the content that you tell us you want. Help keep EMWA offerings fresh by supplying a pipeline of new ideas. I look forward to welcoming you to The Hague in November 2015.

Best wishes,

Sam Hamilton