Optical luminaries gathered last week in London at the Lightspeed Europe 2001 conference, which went like a bomb. (Note: “Went like a bomb” is British slang for “was a great success.”)

Attendees debriefed one another at a joint Penton Media/Light Reading after-hours cocktail party. Well, some did. Most merely exchanged the latest scuttlebutt, discussed the day's news, and plotted methods for influencing Light Reading's Top Ten lists. (Hint: Throwing a wobbly in the Top Ten session never helps.)

Anyway, the show was a hit, as proven by our snapshots from the party. Of course, when the working day was done, the Light Reading staff did their own tour of Britain’s best boiled food and bitter ale. Put simply, London was wicked and we can’t wait until next year when Lightspeed Europe 2002 brings together twice as many folks for another incredible show.

--Light Reading Staff http://www.lightreading.com (Left to Right): Lillian Chen, Finisar; Jennifer Goldfinch, Hyperchip; Nan Chen, Metro Ethernet Forum; Jan Meise, FinisarCharlier Guyer and Jeff Gwynne, Quantum BridgeJas Sandhu, Polatis; and Richard Woodham, Sentec Ltd. Gautam Sabharwal, Michael Howard, and Richard Webb, InfoneticsThe party crowdSome of the Light Reading crew (left to right): Scott Raynovich, Greer Westerink, Mary Jander, Peter Heywood, Blythe Teed, John Keough, and Phil Harvey.