ASQ Convenes World Alliance for Quality Global Summit

There were 33 countries represented. More than 20 different languages were used to say "Hello," and just days later to say "we shall meet again." An unprecedented gathering of the world’s quality leaders set an aggressive agenda of projects to improve business and industries, institutions and communities, locally and globally. Part business meeting, part summer camp, part multimedia experience.

All this, and so much more took place May 7–9 as ASQ served to convene the World Alliance for Quality Second Global Summit immediately following ASQ’s World Conference on Quality and Improvement. The summit program was designed and led by Paul Borawski, ASQ executive director and chief strategic officer, together with the European Organization for Quality Secretary General Bertrand Jouslin de Noray.

Ron Atkinson, ASQ chairman, offered a robust welcome to the 70 attendees; Mike Nichols, ASQ president, provided the official toast for the event and presided over the ceremonial gift exchanges between leaders of the quality organizations. ASQ Past President Spencer Hutchens attended on behalf of the International Academy of Quality, as did Charles Aubrey, another former ASQ president, on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Quality Organization, Manila, Philippines.

The summit in Houston took bold new directions following the Alliance’s first summit-style gathering, which took only a few hours two years ago in Antwerp, Belgium. The delegates began with visioning exercises and a café-style dialogue on the future of quality. The event also put a premium on building one-to-one and group dynamic relationships.

Contemplating new and old business, summit participants reviewed the Alliance’s existing work projects, deleting some and adding new projects and leadership. Among the new projects now in development: Quality management mentoring for small and medium-sized businesses; Quality systems to benefit the children of Vietnam; establishing a global Quality of Life index; and Quality as a World Issue with the United Nations. Christopher Bauman and Laurel Nelson-Rowe, ASQ managing directors, and Tommy Tam, Global Market manager, volunteered to participate in work on these and other efforts. ASQ also developed and introduced a new World Alliance for Quality Web site at the summit, and will continue to build content and capabilities for the site.

Mike Nichols put a fitting signature to the event as he completed the closing ritual by choosing the single word "continuity" to symbolize the need to work toward success and results. And he encouraged participants to take the opportunity to build relationships as they returned to their corners of our ever-shrinking world.