Exactly one month ago, from April 22nd to 24th, 2024, the 27th spring meeting of the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG) took place at the CIEMAT in Madrid. With over 50 registrations, this gathering provided a valuable opportunity for members to reconnect in person after months of virtual interactions.
Day 1: April 22 - Working Groups and Steering Groups Meeting
The first day of the meeting was dedicated to the work of the Working Groups and Steering Groups. During the Global Cosmic Steering meeting, it was announced that Sabine and Caroline had completed their mandates as event coordinators, and Kazuo Tanaka was welcomed as the new coordinator of the Global Cosmic Steering Group.
Day 2: April 23 - Main Meeting
The main meeting commenced with reports from the Core Team and Working and Steering Groups. A new addition to the agenda was the "Ask Me Anything" session, tailored for newcomers to IPPOG who had questions, curiosities or wanted to know more. In the afternoon, representatives highlighted various activities, including those commemorating the 70th anniversary of CERN. Later in the day, a panel discussion on "The Future of Fusion Energy" took place at the splendid Salón Real, Casa de la Panadería featuring esteemed guests and moderated by Joaquín Sánchez Sanz from CIEMAT.
Guests invited: Isabel García Cortés (National Fusion Lab Outreach coordinator), Beatriz Brañas (Head of IFMIF Unit, CIEMAT), Antonio Bravo Pérez (Business Development Manager, IDOM) and Carlos Hidalgo Vera (National Fusion Lab Director).
Day 3: April 24 - Morning: Inspirational Success Stories
The final day commenced with Inspirational Success Stories, where contributors shared remarkable achievements.
The Inspirational Success Stories of this meeting were:
1. Twin Paradox by Gediminas Sarpis and Mindaugas Sarpis
2. MEDNIGHT by Marina Trimarchi
3. Muon Detectives: Empowering Educators & Engaging Students in Dark Matter Science by Jackie Bondell
4. Lyon Yggdrasil festival - a scientist and a visitor talking by Emmanuel Jullien et al.
5. IGFAE Labs by Manuel Ray
6. Early Morning Coffee at CERN: a video podcast series by Steven Goldfarb, Joni Phan, and Chetna Krishna
7. The role of social media in scientific outreach by Simone Ragoni
8. Particle Physics Masterclass for non-scientific CERN Personnel by Fabiola Cacciatore
9. GEANT4 software from HEP to applications in society by Maria Grazia Pia
10. IFT YouTube channel by Angel Uranga
11. Engaging Young Minds with Particle Physics by David Borgelt
The morning concluded with the announcement of winners of the first edition of International Masterclass photo contest.
Afternoon: Collaboration Board
The afternoon session hosted the Collaboration Board, where IPPOG members discuss on decisions and future plans for the organisation. As always, this session was crucial for shaping the direction of IPPOG and fostering collaboration among its members.
Overall, the 27th IPPOG meeting at CIEMAT, Madrid, was a resounding success, showcasing the dedication of its members and their commitment to advancing particle physics outreach on a global scale.