Today thermal desorption is a widely accepted and preferred analytical technique used to examine a wide range of substances in air, with equipment found in many laboratories. The story of how this technique developed from a few groups experimenting in the 1970’s with novel ways to measure workplace exposure to volatile chemicals, to the diversely applied and highly valued method of today is a story of twists and turns. This conference takes a fascinating look at the early history and development of thermal desorption, and moves rapidly up to the here and now with technical presentations covering a wide variety of challenging applications. From split control to sample recollection, from the ubiquitous Tenax to exotic sorbents, samplers and traps, the evolution of this precision method and control software will be demonstrated in a series of application talks designed to stimulate interest as well as provide academic information.