By the time the conference ended, some 340 delegates from around the World had been involved in presentations, panel sessions and discussions with a good number of the economists and statisticians who lead the world thinking in this area.

The conference was a great success, in both the quality of the programme, and the organisation of each day. Len Cook, the National Statistician, said: "I have been to many statistical conferences, and this was one of the best organised, and relevant in content that I have attended".

The programme committee, chaired by Tim Holt, managed to bring in leading contributors from North America and Europe, and as far as the Antipodes. There was an excellent mix of delegates, many from the United States, and strong contingents from Asia and Africa. After the conference, both ONS and the Department for International Development, DfID, organised workshops on leadership in statistics and in capacity building for senior statistical office staff.

Image courtesy Dev Virdee, ONS delegate