AIHA Continues To Successfully Promote Achievement In Industrial Hygiene
AIHce 2006 highest attendance since 2002
Fairfax, VA — Now that the dust has settled, evaluations have been tallied, registration reports finalized, and financial reports reconciled, it is evident that the 2006 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) in Chicago was a big success on many key fronts.
Cosponsored by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®), the meeting also featured a three-day exposition with exhibits from more than 300 companies, which was an increase in booth sales since last year.
The attendance of 7,332 was the highest since 2002. AIHce 2006, the premier conference for industrial hygienists and occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professionals, brought the highest number of professional registrants since the San Diego AIHce in 2002. AIHce has seen a steady increase in the number of attendees each year.
At McCormick Place, attendees found the latest science-based solutions for protecting workers and their health and gaining practical advice on business-related issues that industrial hygienists and health and safety professionals face every day. The conference began with 75 professional development courses (PDCs) and two symposia. The weekend events attracted more than 2,650 registrations from members and nonmembers of AIHA and ACGIH®. The average PDC score was a 4.0 (on a 1–5 scale with 5 being the highest).
Following the weekend PDCs and symposiums, more than 120 educational sessions, podium sessions, roundtables, environmental health and safety (EHS) crossover programs, technical tours, and poster sessions were scheduled. The individual session evaluations rating averages were very good.
- Podium sessions: 85.6% attendees rated them good/excellent (4 or 5)
- Roundtables: 91.2% attendees rated them good/excellent (4 or 5)
- EHS crossover programs: 91.6% rated them good/excellent (4 or 5)
Attendees who took advantage of both pre-conference PDCs and the weekday educational programming earned up to 6.5 certification maintenance points.
AIHce 2006 exceeded revenue goals. AIHce added a host of new, innovative programming to the 2006 conference schedule, including co-locating with the 8th International VENT conference, "Practical Applications of Ventilation for Emission and Exposure Control." All AIHce attendees were able to attend VENT education sessions at no extra cost.
At AIHce 2007, participants will represent a wide variety of interests, including industrial hygiene, environmental health, safety, engineering, consulting, general business management, and much more. Kick off this year's theme of "Sparking Tradition with Invention" and provide fresh, dynamic solutions to today's challenges—new standards and regulations, technological innovations, international security issues, and expanding practice areas. Start planning now for AIHce 2007 in Philadelphia, June 2–7. For more information, visit www.aiha.org/aihce.htm.
SOURCE: AIHA