CEM 2004 in the shakespeare country: a royal treat - as you like it

If you were hit by the spring fever last month;you wanted to get away from the rat-race and go somewhere to soak in a little culture, and yet combine the experience with exposure to the latest goings-on in computational electromagnetics (CEM), the place to he was Stratford, in England. Here, by the bonnie hanks of the Avon river - where Shakespeare probably wrote most of its plays - was a charming hotel called the Alveston Manor, which must have been the sprawling mansion (sce Figure 1) of Lord somebody-or-other a few centuries ago. The organizers chose this place as the venue for the CEM04, a premier meeting in computational EM in the UK and Europe. The attendees were primarily from the UK and the continent, although there was a smattering of delegates from Asia and the Americas, as well. The topics covered included both the low and high frequencies, in keeping with the tradition of the previous CEM workshops. Following the strategy now adapted by several European meeting organizers, the meeting featured a few selected oral presentations, which were immediately followed by a large group of poster presentations on related topics - and no parallel sessions. The interactive sessions were well run, and provided the attendees an opportunity to engage in unhurried discussion with the presenters in a relaxed atmosphere (drinks were included). Such European workshops are not only pleasant for the attendees, hut they also offer a chance to catch up with the latest buzz in the CEM world, at least in Europe.