ISA unveils plans for ISA Automation Week 2010

The International Society of Automation (ISA) recently unveiled plans for its new event, ISA Automation Week: Technology and Solutions Event, to be held Oct. 4 to 7, 2010, at the Westin Galleria Complex in Houston.
 
ISA Automation Week will feature intensive educational and applications-based technical conference sessions delivered by subject matter experts. Discrete and process automation professionals will have a chance to learn techniques and solutions for creating more efficient, productive, and economical manufacturing processes. ISA training courses and standards meetings will also be held concurrently, making ISA Automation Week a one-stop shop for automation and control knowledge and networking opportunities.
 
The ISA Automation Week conference program will focus on the latest industry developments and standards in key manufacturing disciplines like automation, energy and power, green manufacturing, instrumentation and process control, safety and security, systems and enterprise integration, and wireless, networking, and industrial communications. Conference sessions will include both theory-based and applications-based presentations to appeal to a wide variety of automation and control professionals. The event will feature a focused exhibition area for a limited number of companies to showcase products and services during scheduled networking and exhibit sessions. Currently, 65% of the space available for the exhibit has been sold.
 
“ISA Automation Week is organized around a different model than ISA has used in the past. The new model focuses on the conference as the center of the event, because we believe that automation and control professionals at every level seek knowledge above all else. By centering the event on the conference, we can help exhibitors create more successful interactions with serious and focused attendees at all levels,” said ISA executive director and CEO Patrick Gouhin.
 
“ISA is all about knowledge. The conference focus of this event will help us deliver a top-notch technical curriculum to our attendees, and it will benefit our partners and exhibitors as well,” said ISA Automation Week program committee co-chair and 2009 ISA president Jerry Cockrell of Indiana State University. “By drawing on our connections to the academic community to develop presentations in addition to our strong applications-based technical network, we can create a well-rounded program that attracts all levels of automation professionals.”
 
The increased focus on the conference aspect of the event is a positive development for automation suppliers as well, said 2010 ISA president Nelson Ninin, who is the president of Yokogawa America Do Sul SA. “We believe that an educated prospect is a qualified prospect. Our attendees will spend three intensive days learning about the latest technologies and solutions in the world of automation and control, and they’ll be ready to see the products that our partner companies have to offer in those areas. This is a great opportunity for a company to showcase its products as solutions to the technical challenges and developments presented in the conference sessions.”    
 
An Exhibitor Advisory Committee and other feedback mechanisms are being created to solicit input at various stages of the development process for the 2010 event and events in future years. Companies or individuals interested in learning more, or providing input toward the development of ISA Automation Week, should contact ISA at feedback@isa.org, or call (919) 549-8411.
www.isa.org