News

Outgoing Pres Reports Progress, Growth

New York City (October 10-13, 2003)--With his term coming to a close, AES outgoing president Kees Immink reports growth from the field and applauds the various technological innovations expected at this year's convention. Recovering from the scaled-down New York City Convention two years ago, due to the events of 9/11, Immink assures that the organization has really bounced back over the past year, and firmly resumed its course.

Having worked for 30 years at Philips Research and as founder and president of Turing Machines, Immink has brought his vast expertise and technical foresight to the AES, and as president, has traveled to various AES conferences, and initiated campaigns to increase membership internationally.

"This year we had our Amsterdam Convention, and conferences in London, Copenhagen, Banff, Tokyo and Santiago de Chili," reports Immink, a native of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. "All conferences and the convention were well attended, and they were all of a great level of professionalism. I feel very proud that I have been AES president, and have observed the enthusiasm among our membership."

At the outset of his term, Immink had plans to extend AES membership in upcoming markets such as China, Taiwan and Korea. With very few members in China, he felt that outreach to increase membership in such a big market was crucial. Throughout the course of his term, there has indeed been progress in China. "We have found assistance in Singapore, where AES members are willing to visit China (it is essential for this project that they are fluent in Mandarin), and try to start a small core of Chinese membership," notes Immink. "Slowly I have seen during my term that something is going to happen, and I do hope that during the upcoming governors meeting, decisions will be made."

Immink, whose expertise is in design of coding technology for the CD, DVD and Blu-Ray disc, also notes progress in all fields of audio. "A short walk on the exhibition floor this year will make that clear," he insists. He also notes that his "35-year industrial background has been of great help during my term as AES president. Personally, I expect that the introduction this year of the Blu-Ray disc system (a DVD-like system with a capacity of 23 Gigabyte) will have a significant effect on the audio markets. The Blu-Ray disc is currently marketed as a video recorder, but I have foreknowledge that very shortly the first audio-only applications will be shown. Probably in the next U.S. Convention, the first application papers will be presented."

--Janice Brown