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April 3-6, 2013. AudiologyNOW! claims to be the world’s largest gathering of audiologists. A number of developmental changes occur within the first year of life that may be missed for an infant with severe-to-profound hearing loss. In order for a child with hearing loss to ultimately reach age-appropriate milestones for speech and language development, there is a need to provide consistent auditory access to spoken language as early and consistently as possible. This meeting provided participants the opportunity to attend four days of educational sessions, explore the latest in hearing technology, and network with colleagues from around the world. There were ed sessions, hands-on opportunities and special events for all career stages, which enabled delegates to enhance their knowledge of cutting-edge audiology and share discoveries from leading researchers within various specialties. The event was designed to provide attendees with a range of opportunities, including scientific enrichment, career development, and professional learning. Now listen up…!
Dec. 12-16, 2012. PAG is for Plant & Animal Genome, and this is billed as the largest Ag-Genomics meeting in the world. It brought together nearly 3,000 leading agriculture-related genetic scientists and researchers in plant and animal research, to view 120 exhibits, 140 workshops, a thousand poster sessions and 1,700 abstracts. The scientific program included informative speakers and technical presentations, all geared as forums for the exchange of ideas and applications on recent developments in this field of scientific investigation. The largest group of registrations tend to be from an Academic background (64%), with Industry (25%) and Government (11%) sectors comprising the remainder. Approximately 40% of attendees came to PAG from outside the USA, making the conference a truly global event. Hey: how you gonna keep ‘em… down on the farm… now that they’ve seen, er, San Diego?
Nov. 11-14, 2012. The Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) has been “serving Ohio public schools since 1955″, we heard. Informational seminars examined creative solutions and proactive approaches to a broad spectrum of public educational challenges. Show highlights included the Student Achievement Fair, with 100 booths displaying innovative student programs, as well as top student entertainment groups from each of OSBA’s five regions; and the Trade Show itself, offering more than 700 exhibits of the latest in education-related goods and services; and numerous opportunities to share ideas with school leaders from across Ohio. Oh, you say the show’s over now? Ok, all together: “Hello world, goodbye Columbus…”
Nov. 13-15, 2012. This is one of those shows that plays guessing games with its target constituency. Okay, see if you can figure out what these folks do. DUG East is about “developing unconventionals”. This trade show and conference for the “unconventional resources industry” has grown in leaps and bounds, each year steadily drawing more attendees and exhibitors to an ever-expanding showfloor. This year the hot gossip was about “unleashing the Utica” and “monetizing the Marcellus”. Still baffled? Okay, here’s a clue quote: “Producers are moving rigs into the liquids-rich-gas Marcellus and Utica windows, while midstream gatherers, processors and marketers are working on yet another phase of Appalachian-resource monetization: more NGLs—plus… oil”. Ohhhhh… this is the energy business they’re talking about…! We nominate DUG East as a worthy contender for this year’s Bafflegab Award for incomprehensibly obscure corporate jargon….
Dec. 4-6, 2012. Seed Expo is purportedly the largest seed industry trade show in the country. And it’s run by ASTA, the American Seed Trade Association. Membership consists of more than 700 companies involved in production and distribution, plant breeding and related industries. “From Alfalfa to Zucchini and all the agronomic crops in between, the American Seed Trade Association and their partner seed associations are charged with representing the interests and concerns of the seed industry, here at home and around the globe”……… we were reliably informed. “Wherever there is a need for perspective and experience involving seed, ASTA and your state and/or regional seed association are there”. Well, you plant a seed, and in due course…..
Dec. 3-7, 2012. AGU is the American Geophysical Union. (Geophysical union? It sounds like the world giving itself a giant bear-hug…). But seriously, AGU is a nonprofit corporation chartered under the laws of the District of Columbia, and it is “dedicated to the furtherance of the geophysical sciences through the individual efforts of its members and in cooperation with other national and international scientific organizations”. AGU, we heard, ”can secure a position as a leader, collaborator, and sought-after partner for scientific innovation, rigor and interdisciplinary focus on global issues.” The number one objective supporting this goal is, apparently, to… “Transform the future of AGU’s scientific publishing in an evolving marketplace.” Okaaayyy…. Ya still want that hug?
Dec. 5-6, 2012. Ecobuild America, we heard, is all about Sustainable High Performance and Technology Solutions for the Built Environment. What does that entail, exactly? Well, building performance and energy efficiency, for starters. Then there are all those Green and Sustainability issues, a key part of the Federal Design and Construction Outlook, which was a big enough deal to deserve its own mini-conference within the main event. Delegates could sit in on sessions like High Performance in Building Enclosures – A Practical Guide for High Performance Building Enclosure Design and Construction. Or they could hear about Energy Master Plans – The Path to Financial Success and Energy Independence. Then again, maybe their thing was Sustainable Design for Mission-Critical Facilities. How were delegates looking? Actually, pretty ‘built’….
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