SAMPE made a strategic decision to move the world's largest conference and exhibition for advance materials to the east coast for 2007 - Baltimore. For over 60 years, the conference has been held on the west coast. The move paid off yesterday, however, and any uncertainty about the success of the new location was history, with attendance numbers for the first day building rapidly to exceed the record of 5,000.
"The exhibit hall has caught the attention of serious M&P companies and has attracted a multitude of visitors. We are happy to have 70 new exhibitors with us in Baltimore. Interestingly, exhibit sales for SAMPE 2008 in Long Beach are far ahead of schedule now. We are booking more new exhibitors and our existing exhibitors are booking larger spaces,” commented SAMPE President Ray Miller. “We believe our decision to host the SAMPE Symposium and Exhibition on both coasts is a win/win/win for SAMPE, its members and attendees and our exhibitors.
Though the conference began Sunday, it officially commenced yesterday, with a keynote presentation by Douglas Comstock, Director of the NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program Office, titled, "NASA’s New Strategic Directions and the Importance of Industrial Collaborations." He outlined NASA's goals for the next 10 years. One of the most prevalent technical areas, common to most of the strategic goals NASA has set forth, is materials science, a field that remains paramount to the future of space exploration.
Throughout the day, conference attendees attended presentations of their choosing on topics ranging from nanomaterials and thermal management to composite design & analysis and nondestructive evaluation.
"We are pleased to offer a technical program of this caliber," Paul Wienhold, conference general co-chair said. "The presentations and panels offered at this conference reflect the work of engineers and scientists whose research and innovations are shaping the industry."
Sessions at SAMPE '07 will continue through Thursday, June 7. The exhibit hall will remain open until 1:00pm Thursday.
"The exhibit hall has caught the attention of serious M&P companies and has attracted a multitude of visitors. We are happy to have 70 new exhibitors with us in Baltimore. Interestingly, exhibit sales for SAMPE 2008 in Long Beach are far ahead of schedule now. We are booking more new exhibitors and our existing exhibitors are booking larger spaces,” commented SAMPE President Ray Miller. “We believe our decision to host the SAMPE Symposium and Exhibition on both coasts is a win/win/win for SAMPE, its members and attendees and our exhibitors.
Though the conference began Sunday, it officially commenced yesterday, with a keynote presentation by Douglas Comstock, Director of the NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program Office, titled, "NASA’s New Strategic Directions and the Importance of Industrial Collaborations." He outlined NASA's goals for the next 10 years. One of the most prevalent technical areas, common to most of the strategic goals NASA has set forth, is materials science, a field that remains paramount to the future of space exploration.
Throughout the day, conference attendees attended presentations of their choosing on topics ranging from nanomaterials and thermal management to composite design & analysis and nondestructive evaluation.
"We are pleased to offer a technical program of this caliber," Paul Wienhold, conference general co-chair said. "The presentations and panels offered at this conference reflect the work of engineers and scientists whose research and innovations are shaping the industry."
Sessions at SAMPE '07 will continue through Thursday, June 7. The exhibit hall will remain open until 1:00pm Thursday.
