ESC – Opening Plenary

Monday, 8 September 2008

The Plenary session was opened by ESC President, Domenico Giardini, who gave his opening address. He said a few words about the ESC activities and projects in the past two years and at present, especially stressing the growing co-operation with the engineering community. The XXXI General Assembly consists of 28 sessions, some of them dedicated to ongoing projects as well. At the end of his speech he thanked the LOC and Creta Maris staff for preparing the conference.

The Secretary General of the ESC, Mariano Garcia-Fernandez, presented an administrative part of the opening procedure. Starting with obituaries to the seismologists and colleagues from the Earth sciences that passed away in the past two years, the minute of silence was given to honour their memories. This was followed by the call of Titular members. ESC Working Groups were shortly presented, as well as the propositions for the new ones. The members of the Nominating and Resolutions Committees were introduced to the participants. A short report was given on the meeting on 7 Sep 2008 with the Executive Committee of the EAEE. Information about possibility that ESC would have a legal status was given. The reasons for the amendments to the bylaws were explained (it is necessary to change the ESC bylaws due to the organization the joint assemblies with EAEE).

At that point Giardini declared the XXXI General Assembly of the ESC opened and closed the Opening session.

ESC - Opening Ceremony

Monday 8 September 2008

The floor was taken by the Head of the Local Organizing Committee, Gerassimos Papadopoulos. He gave a welcoming speech, explained a few technical details (slight change of the schedule for the first day, instructions to the conveners, shuttle buses, daily changes of the posters etc.). Papadopoulos informed the audience that there were (on the morning on 8 Sep) 430 participants, with 629 abstracts and 74 short papers. At the end he expressed his thanks to the participants, ESC Executive Committee, Creta Maris Conference Centre, Kyriakakis Travel, to exhibitors and sponsors, and to members of the LOC.

Mayor of Hersonissos, Mr Spiros Danelis, welcomed the participants and expressed his wishes for the success of the conference.

The Opening ceremony was ended by a presentation of Cretan music and dances, given by a local group of performers.