|
|
April 29 – May 1, 2013. Coverings is billed as “the ultimate stone and tile experience”, and is known for connecting the people, products, innovations and education that go to make up the tile & stone industry. (The visual motif you saw everywhere was silhouette people made of tile and floor-covering patterns, all cheerfully chatting and shaking hands — or is that shaking tiles?) With more than 20,000 professionals attending Coverings 2013, there were plenty of new business leads and contacts to be made, for input into a variety of tile- or stone- related topics. Visitors could observe creative masterpieces being constructed onsite at Coverings, when NTCA Five Star contractors and Atlanta-area design firms were partnered to showcase the synergy between beautiful design and professional installation. You could watch a bar/lounge, hotel lobby, inpatient room in a women’s birthing center and a master bathroom being created from inception to completion right on the show floor. Whoops, don’t slip on those tiles…!
April 16-18, 2013. This was an event for senior-level military and industry leaders in sustainment, maintenance, repair, and overhaul. Aviation Week MRO Americas and MRO Military claimed to understand that travel budgets are tight and growing tighter. The priority was to deliver the most up-to-date and accurate information to an aviation audience. They condensed the MRO military program, usually two days, into one consolidated day of information, analysis, and program updates to deliver the best value for money. Briefings covered: GFY 2013 and 2014 budget reviews and their impact to MRO business, global defense sustainment market forecasts, industry perspectives on sustainment and sequestration, how emerging innovations can drive greater defense affordability, and how industry can help DoD deploy performance-based sustainment strategies. Is “sustainment” actually a word?
February 3-5, 2013. It’s ‘NATSO’ complicated: NATSO has been representing travel plaza and truckstop owners and operators for over 50 years, and maintains a clear mission: to advance the success of truckstop and travel plaza members by delivering solutions to members’ problems — whoops, sorry, challenges – and achieving the industry’s public policy goals. Er, problems? Well, jeez, things like parking space slopes that exceed the safe maximum angle, excess diesel exhaust fumes, not letting your employees park next to the dumpster because it shrinks the frontage available to passing truckers… There, you had no idea it was all so complicated, did you? Seriously, the nation’s truckstops and travel plazas are among the largest distributors of diesel fuel and gasoline, and NATSO closely monitors regulatory action and industry trends that affect the supply and distribution of fuel. From biodiesel tax credits to underground storage tank requirements, NATSO is on the forefront of industry issues. Hey, get that thing away from the dumptster, will’ya..?
January 14-17, 2013. NSSEA EdExpo presents itself as the premier showcase for innovations in every facet of learning, from instructional materials, teaching aids and technology products to educational games, toys, and supplies — a veritable cornerstone of the teaching and learning industry. The show is produced by the National School Supply & Equipment Association (NSSEA), the educational products and services trade association. Teachers, managers, buyers and sellers could visit hundreds of manufacturers and evaluate thousands of products, all under one roof. There were workshops, networking events, continental breakfasts, and the Dealer Speed-Dining Luncheon — returning, apparently, by popular demand. What ever happened to teachers telling us we had to “chew each mouthful 100 times”? Speed-dining sounds like a recipe for indigestion…
Dec. 8-11, 2012. ASH is the American Society of Hematology, and more than 18,000 hematologists and health-care professionals turned out for the 54th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Nearly 300 pharmaceutical companies, medical suppliers, clinical-diagnostic and research-based companies, publishers, and nonprofit organizations were on-hand in this state-of-the-art exhibit hall, featuring the latest technology and research, as well as a wide range of products and services. On offer was a symposium on Epigenetics in Hematopoiesis, focused on the effects of epigenetic alterations and gene mutations on hematopoietic stem cell function, and how epigenetics play a role in hematopoietic malignancies. In addition, there was a symposium on the Basic Science of Hemostasis and Thrombosis. Kind of… well… an educational blood-bank…
Nov. 17-19, 2012. ASHA is the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the ASHA convention was the premier annual event for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech/language/hearing scientists. Bringing together more than 12,000 attendees, the annual convention provided delegates with a once-a-year opportunity to learn about the latest evidence-based research, polish clinical skills, improve techniques, and gain new tools and resources to advance careers and optimize the workplace. This year’s theme was “Evidence of Excellence: Opportunities and Outcomes,” and it focused on the partnership between clinical practice and research—the unique continuum in which evidence informs practice and builds the evidence base. Speakers did the speaking… delegates did the hearing…
Oct. 27-29, 2012. AES is the Audio Engineering Society, and for over sixty years it claims to have been the largest gathering of audio professionals and enthusiasts on the globe, attracting delegates from over 100 countries worldwide. Workshops, tutorials, technical papers and the exhibition floor provided attendees with learning, networking and business opportunities. Sound is an essential component of a growing number of industries, such as audio for games, sound for motion pictures, broadcasting, live concerts and more, so there was no mystery about the audio industry’s desire to “make a noise about itself”. Most audio produced today is associated with pictures – television, cinema, Internet, streaming broadcasts, and mobile. Possibly the most technologically advanced and fastest growing segment of the audio field, game audio is the perfect storm of signal processing complexity, evolving requirements, and mass market appeal. As Buffalo Springfield used to sing, “Stop, children, what’s that sound…?”
|
|
