Pittsburgh Conference February 2 2 - 2 6 , 1988
New Orleans had barely recovered from the previous week's Mardi Gras when the Pittsburgh Conference, with more than 25,000 attendees, came to town. After two consecutive years in Atlantic City, conferees were able once more to feast on crawfish, jambalaya, and other Louisiana delicacies. Both the New Orleans Convention Center and the Rivergate Exhibition Center were filled to capacity, and the warm, sunny weather made the walk between the two locations a pleasure. Attendance was down from that of the last two conferences in Atlantic City, but up considerably compared with the 1985 meeting in New Orleans. The number of technical papers presented hit an all-time high of 1325, and 830 exhibitors occupied 2300 booths showing the latest analytical instruments, laboratory supplies, chemicals, and publications. A comparison with previous years is shown in Table I. For in-depth coverage of the exposition, see the March 7 issue of Chemical & Engineering News. The Employment Clearinghouse again provided assistance in matching prospective employees and employers. The number of job candidates registered with the employment bureau decreased slightly (704 vs. 939 in 1987), but the number of job openings was higher than last year's figure (836 vs. 700 in 1987). (See Tables II and III for comparison with previous years.) Centcom, Ltd., the advertising management agency for ACS publications, held its annual Pittsburgh Conference breakfast on Tuesday, February 23. This year's thought-provoking discussion centered on global marketing. Panelists T. Z. Chu of Finnegan MAT, David Janes of Fisions, and Bill Rich of Dionex discussed various strategies for increasing international sales. The ACS and Centcom also launched a new controlled-circulation
magazine, Today's Chemist. Nontraditional and nontechnical, Today's Chemist reflects that "chemists are people, too" and will focus on the everyday interests of chemists by offering coverage of professional people and organizations, state-of-the-art research and development, chemistry-related business news, personal finances, and science-oriented travel and leisure opportunities. The logistics involved with using both the Rivergate and the New Orleans Convention Center this year (only the Convention Center was used
FOCUS when the Pittsburgh Conference convened in New Orleans in 1985) proved to be a challenge to both the organizers and the exhibitors. According to Jay Auses, chairman of the Exhibits Committee, steps were taken to avoid the possible identification of one facility as the secondary site. "The larger companies that attract many people were spread out very equitably between the Convention Center and Rivergate," said Auses. "Increasing our exhibit area by using both buildings means that several companies were able to increase their commitment to the show
Table 1.
by expanding their exhibit space. Some companies even chose to cover all the bases by exhibiting in both halls." The use of both facilities made the job of communicating among committee members more complicated than ever before. "Traditionally, committee members have sent messages to each other using the classic communications network—footpower," said John Enyart, chairman of the Publicity and Public Relations Committee. "Dozens of young students literally ran handwritten messages around the convention floor and between conference committee offices. With this year's exposition split between two locations and the expanding size of the conference, a computer-based message system became critical." Digital Equipment Corporation came to the rescue by donating a DECnet information management system. The system was installed specifically for the Pittsburgh Conference and consisted of a microVAX II computer, three VT340 terminals, and two printers in the Convention Center and three more terminals and two printers in the Rivergate; all were connected via a DECserver 200 and Ethernet network wiring. The conference committee system was part of a larger network of more than 35 vendors connected to a MicroVAX 3600 computer in the DEC booth.
Pittsburgh Conference attendance statistics, 1985-1988 Category
1985
1986
1987
1988
Total no. of conferees No. of technical papers No. of exhibitors No. of booth spaces
20,733 1,213 730 1,830
29,146 1,094 730 2,012
31,555 1,145 790 2,039
25,264 1,325 830 2,300
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 60, NO. 8, APRIL 15, 1988 · 529 A
FOCUS Pittsburgh Conference Week this year included several special events associated with Science Week in New Orleans, a multifaceted event that encompassed the inauguration of the city's new science center, recognition of the area's outstanding science teachers, and an opportunity for New Orleans students to become more familiar with a variety of science-oriented career paths. "This is the first time in the history of our organization that we have taken on such a project," said Enyart. "By providing the teachers and young people of New Orleans with an opportunity to see firsthand some of the exciting areas of interest that are available to today's students, we hope to demonstrate that the study of science does lead to rewarding careers, and at the very least, helps us to understand the world around us." Tuesday, February 23, was proclaimed Science Teacher's Day by Sidney J. Barthélémy, mayor of New Orleans. More than 125 outstanding teachers from the city's three school districts were honored at a program sponsored by Hewlett-Packard Company, DEC, and CNG Producing Company. In addition to a tour of the exposition as guests of the Pittsburgh Conference, the teachers also witnessed the formal inauguration of the new Louisiana Science Centre, an interactive museum where displays will demonstrate scientific principles, and the dedication of a time capsule, donated by Mobay Corporation, to be sealed in the foundation of the Centre for the next 50 years. Items in the time capsule include a copy of the 1988 Pittsburgh Conference Program, New Orleans memorabilia, science and engineering items from Louisiana industries, a capsule of Mississippi River water, a mask from Mardi Gras, various flags and maps, a bottle of tabasco sauce, a Creole cookbook, a fiber-optic lightpipe, a
Table III.
Table II.
No. of job candidates, 1985--1988
Degree
1985
1986
1987
1988
Ph.D. M.S. B.A. or B.S. Other Total
272 105 182 11 570
380 168 322 39 909
535 72 314 18 939
348 132 212 12 704
superconductor, and both 1972-model and 1988-model Hewlett-Packard calculators. Teachers' Day also included the announcement of the winners of the Invent New Orleans contest, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Conference, Hewlett-Packard, and the Louisiana Science Centre. Entries were judged on originality, problem solving, appearance, the degree to which the invention illustrates a scientific principle, and the extent to which it was developed. Winning inventions included a talking red light (first through third grade), an all-in-one toothbrush and toothpaste holder (fourth through sixth grade), a mechanical brake for a skateboard (junior high school), and a switch that lets small children turn a wall switch on and off (high school). Science Week continued on Thursday as more than 1500 students from area schools visited the exposition to see firsthand the ways that science education is put to work in the real world. The organizers hope that the demonstrations and interactions with exhibitors and conferees helped the students to better understand the many interesting fields of study from which they may choose career paths. As usual, the Pittsburgh Conference Committee put together a package of social events diverse enough to please
Comparison of job openings, 1985--1988
Descrlption
1985
1986
1987
1988
Academic Government Industrial labs Industrial sales Industrial management Research institutions Employment agencies Analyst Other Total
22 18 392 116 16 12
15 64 543 198
19 28 413 143
10
* * * 576
•
3 61
* * 884
•
*
170 147 61
26 71
» *
•
* 700
" Comparable breakdown not available.
530 A · ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 60, NO. 8, APRIL 15, 1988
372 76 836
everyone. The Sunday night mixer in the Convention Center Lobby was enjoyed by all, and the Thursday riverboat cruise gave conferees a chance to see the city from the water. On Monday night a Greek theme party, which included Greek music and decor and a performance by a local Hellenic dance troupe, acknowledged the fact that this year's president, George Vassilaros, is the conference's first foreign-born head. Next year the Pittsburgh Conference will once again head to Atlanta for its 40th anniversary, March 6-10. "All under one r o o f is an important selling point for the 1989 conference and exposition, says the conference committee, which notes that continuing expansion has caused the conference to outgrow sites for many successive years. According to Richard Danchik, chairman of the Site Selection Committee, requirements for a host city include more than 12,000 hotel rooms within a twomile radius of the conference site, more than a half-million square feet of exhibit space, plenty of meeting rooms, a good airport, adequate ground transportation, many restaurants, and enough amenities to keep more than 30,000 conferees entertained for a week. Atlanta meets all of these criteria with its Georgia World Congress Center, which offers 640,000 square feet of exhibit space, 70 meeting rooms, a large auditorium, and a ballroom. The Atlanta metropolitan area includes 32,000 hotel rooms, 12,000 of which are within eight blocks of the exhibit complex. Plans for next year include continued emphasis on biotechnology, says Steven Weber, program chairman for the 1989 conference. "The conference has grown in stature as well as numbers of attendees," he says. "It is possible that with the accessibility of several major universities to the conference in Atlanta, and its proximity to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we will see even more interest in this area at the 40th annual conference." Mary Warner
