Dear Friends and Colleagues

A warm welcome to you this December.

As the night's grow colder, and our thoughts turn to the festive season ahead, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the SESAM year as our Society continues to evolve and grow.

2014 has been a good year for SESAM, and has seen some exciting developments for us:

• Our 20th Anniversary Meeting in Poznan helped us celebrate the history of the Society, and allowed us all to catch up with old friends and make new acquaintances, whilst learning more about Simulation.
• We continue to establish and strengthen our relationships with our Simulation colleagues around the world, and this is demonstrated by our collaborations - the forthcoming CSC event in Dubai, in February 2015 is only one example of this - and also by the increased number of Simulation meetings which are highlighted through our website pages.
• Our website has changed dramatically this year, and the exciting addition of our SIM Centre Network pages is only one way in which our web offering has been enhanced this year. Please do take a moment to look at the pages, and feel free to share your own SIM Centre details with us so that we can continue to expand the offering.
• Our newsletter has also changed this year, and now provides a regular update (no matter how small!) to our members on a monthly basis, through a new and more dynamic format.
• We have also reviewed our Membership renewal policy, and now regular Members can join SESAM at any point during the year and enjoy a rolling year's membership, rather than a membership which expires at the end of the calendar year.  To renew your own Membership, click here.

These are just a few examples of the work undertaken by us all during 2014 - it's been a busy year!

Looking forward to 2015, preparations are now well under way for our next Annual Meeting taking place in Belfast in June, and the Belfast site will be accepting Abstracts from Monday, 8 December - we would encourage you all to submit an Abstract and share your learnings with the SIM world.  2015 is also the year when we see Elections for a new President and Secretary for SESAM, and I'm sure our new leaders will continue to enhance and expand our Society in a positive way.

Finally, we - the SESAM Executive Committee - would like to take a moment to wish you and your families and loved ones a joyful festive season, and our very best wishes go with you for the coming year.  MERRY CHRISTMAS one and all!

Ralf