Over 300 delegates attended Fire Sprinkler International in Munich on 19-20 April. We were delighted that Wolfgang Schäuble, the Munich Fire Chief, welcomed us all to Munich and opened the conference. He recognised the benefits and reliability of sprinkler systems, recalling he first worked with them when they were included in the design of an exhibition centre. He was followed by two thought-provoking presentations from Volker Bechtloff of Minimax and Clive Weston of Tyco, who showed how the internet and electronics have the potential to disrupt the traditional sprinkler business model.

Over the two days almost 50 speakers presented the latest research, technical developments and standards updates for sprinkler, water mist and foam systems. In between they visited the exhibition with over 40 stands, enjoying the Bavarian evening on the 19th and making the most of the networking opportunities. Over half of the delegates joined us the next evening for a gala dinner in the Ratskeller, a beautiful, historic restaurant in the centre of Munich, rounding off the conference in style.

We would like to thank all the speakers for their excellent presentations, all the exhibitors for their imaginative and informative stands, and the sponsors for their generosity, without which we could not have put on such a large event in two languages.