EMC in the Mile High City - Symposium Survival Tips

Our contributor this week is Stacey Klouda--your friendly, neighborhood Content Curator and Marketing Specialist at Elite.  Stacey is one of the newest additions to the Elite team, although she's no stranger to the company or to the field of EMC.  After a year of traversing the trade show circuit, navigating the streams of  B2B/B2C social media, and learning the ropes of a business that's in her blood, she has a couple things to share. Look below for a few tips she's gotten from the seasoned Symposium crew around Elite and elsewhere.

As Elite gears up for one of the biggest events in EMC all year, I can't help but wonder at what's really in store for symposium attendees and exhibitors in Denver next week.  The IEEE EMC International Symposium draws engineering professionals from a wide spectrum (pardon the pun) of industries, and it focuses on better understanding electromagnetic compatibility and its varied applications.

For example during the Symposium our EMC Lab Manager, Craig Fanning, and our President & Sr EMC Engineer Ray Klouda will be taking in workshops, technical sessions, and meeting with exhibitors.  During the week they will participate in formal and informal discussions/meetings to better understand regulations, standards and test technology.  But they will also be providing meaningful input and technical suggestions to committees, technical liaisons, and chairpersons and give guidance on the development of test methods and regulatory compliance with the lab perspective and in mind.  

One of the important meetings they will attend is GEIA G-46 EMC Subcommittee Meeting.  At this conference meeting, our guys will hear DoD experts present information on MIL-STD-461G, MIL-HDBKs, NASA E3 activities, and other relevant topics.  This Tuesday afternoon event is an important meeting which provides a conduit of technical information to Elite.  In fact, we have chosen to co-sponsors this event for the past four years because of the quality and importance of information to Symposium goers. 

Bottom line…. There’s plenty to do at the 2013 Symposium.   But how do you find out about things going on?    Of course, the official program, magazine guides, and event website provide a lot of great information on talk schedules, venues, things to do, and tons more. How much do we know actually about the city that we will be taking by force on Sunday?  And is there anything that I'm missing?  This got me thinking...and asking around. So for your reading pleasure, here are a few tidbits to keep in mind to get the most out of your EMC adventures in the Mile High City:

"Drink plenty of water!" -- Danny Odom, 2013 Symposium Chair, on how to prepare for the change in altitude.

"Be sure to take some time to walk around the Exhibit Hall and don't miss the demonstrations--they're a great opportunity to see EMC in action" -- Ray Klouda, Elite's President and long-time Symposium attendee.

"It's a great opportunity to see suppliers working with the Military Group responsible for the development of G-46" -- Craig Fanning, discussing the GEIA G-46 EMC Subcommittee Meeting.

Surprising Denver/Colorado Laws to Watch Out For*:

-It is unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next door neighbor.
-It is illegal to mistreat rats in Denver, Colorado.
-You may not drive a black car on Sundays.
-It is illegal to ride a horse while under the influence.
 
Some Helpful Links and Apps:

The IEEE EMC International Symposium 2013 Site: http://www.emc2013.org/ -- The go-to place for symposium info and updates complete with a personal scheduler, final program, and everything you'd need for a successful show.

The City of Denver's Offical Site: http://www.denvergov.org/ -- There's a lot of good info, news, and help here and interesting "How-To" videos on all things Denver-related.

The Official Visitor to Denver, Colorado App: http://www.denver.org/ (Accessed through smart phone or tablet) -- Features things like "Denver Dares" and provides a handy way to look up things on the go, but be careful when it comes to the coupons or deals because you might have to print them out.

Now this is not by any means an exhaustive list.  Personally, I'd like do a couple loops around the expo, find a few talks and demos that look interesting so that I can plan my day out, enjoy a few brewery tours, and just soak up the mountain air.  I encourage everyone to check out the Symposium themselves and please tell me what you might have liked to know before the show in the comments below.  Thank you and hope to see you at Booth 718 starting on Monday!

Sources: *http://www.ahajokes.com/colorado_jokes.html
See the links above and thank you to anyone who contributed their insights!