The GCA have announced that Lauren Wood, formerly chair of the W3C DOM Working Group, is to chair the XML 2001 conference this year.

Director of product technology at SoftQuad, the straight-talking Wood is likely to bring a lively dynamic to the XML industry's major annual gathering. Commenting on her appointment as chair, Wood said "it is a privilege for me to chair GCA's XML 2001 Conference, the venue where XML was first introduced to the world five years ago."

XML 2001 will be held this year in Orlando, Florida, USA, from December 9-14. The conference's theme this will be "XML Everywhere."