The BIBBA-SICAMM anniversary coneerence, Llangollen (Wales) and SICAMM perspectives

The SICAMM (International Association for the Protection of the European Dark Bee) 13th biennial and Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders’ Association (BIBBA) 50th Anniversary joint conference at Llangollen, North Wales, was held in September, 2014. BIBBA had already sketched out two parallel streams of lectures, one for beginners, the other for more advanced beekeepers, then SICAMM joined in with another packed programme of international speakers from across Europe. This time it included two Russian scientists, one Czech, two from Latvia and eminent representatives from the Netherlands and Spain. With over 40 lectures and three lecture streams running in parallel I could attend only a selection of what was on offer. The saving grace was a good interval for moving between halls and I hardly heard an adverse comment.