The 24th International Strategic Management Society Conference: Puerto Rico, October 31-November 3, 2004.

SMS, which also runs the Strategic Management Journal, holds an annual conference for about 1000 delegates each year. While not specifically about technology or innovation management, there is much at this conference, sub-titled this time Strategic Balance: Driving Innovation and Maintaining Performance, which pertains to our area of interest. Not only were there a plethora of different strategic balance presentations but also sessions about organising for innovation, entrepreneurship, knowledge management, the resource-based view of the firm, dynamic capabilities (with speakers such as Rajshree Agarwal, Tammy Madsen and Margie Peteraf) for which technology and innovation are often core themes. Another very interesting session was on the AIM project in the UK. Led by Gerry Johnson, George Yip and Tim Devinney, the session reported on progress on this major research study on firms that have achieved strategic transformation whilst maintaining long-term superior performance. Puerto Rico was a very interesting location to visit, although the weather didn't cooperate for the 'Evening on the Beach'. Delegates had a first-hand lesson in local politics with the elections happening during the conference, but it was recommended that visitors stay in the hotel that night due to the very competitive and raucous revelries that followed.

The next SMS conference will be held at Disney World, Florida, October 23-26, 2005. See www.sms.web.org.

SALLY DAVENPORT, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand