FALL CONFERENCE CLOSES WITH HUMOR AND INSIGHT
Tampa, Fla., Sept. 26, 2011—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, concluded another successful Fall Conference & Exhibition Thursday, September 22. With almost 3,800 individuals in attendance throughout the week, the conference featured more than 20 educational sessions, including the two closing general session technical presentations: “10 Gig Electronics Finally Catch Up,” by Zachary Sherman of Transition Networks and “Smart Building,” by David Allen of McKinstry Company.
The Closing Keynote Presentation was given by comedian Don McMillan, an engineer-turned-comedian who was part of the team that designed the world’s first 32-bit microprocessor. McMillan offered an amusing look at the progression of technology and BICSI, offering statistics and observational humor. McMillan was the $100,000 Grand Champion on TV’s “Star Search” in 1993 and has made numerous other television appearances.
The Fall Conference has been met with much enthusiasm by conference attendees. “If nothing else, these BICSI conferences are awesome,” said Trey Harrison, RCDD, of Hill Electric in Madison, Wis. “I just reconnected with a colleague from 25 years ago,” he continued, indicating his associate, Carl Zielinski, RCDD, of Karpinski Engineering in Cleveland, Ohio. “We worked together for one of the first cabling-only companies. The quality of the speakers [at this conference] was very relevant to the market.”
James Embury, RCDD, of Swanson Rink Consulting Engineers in Denver, Colo., is also pleased with the conference. “The economy is beginning to improve, so it’s a good return on investment to be here! I’m getting plugged back in with the vendors and contractors.”
Throughout the conference, BICSI Cares, BICSI’s charitable arm that supports children’s charities, collected donations from attendees. All funds collected were presented to Kaitlin’s Mobility Foundation, a charity that provides funding and resources to families of special needs children in Washington state. This support is available to offset the cost of mobility equipment necessary both medically and to improve the quality of life for the children.
BICSI President Brian Hansen, RCDD, NTS, CSI, closed the conference thanking everyone for attending and announcing the dates for some of the upcoming conferences in 2012, including the 2012 BICSI Canadian Conference & Exhibition, April 29-May 2, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and the 2012 BICSI European Conference & Exhibition, June 11-13, in Brussels, Belgium.
The 2012 BICSI Winter Conference & Exhibition will take place February 12-16, in Orlando, Florida.
BICSI is a professional association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry. ITS covers the spectrum of voice, data, electronic safety & security, and audio & video technologies. It encompasses the design, integration and installation of pathways, spaces, fiber- and copper-based distribution systems, wireless-based systems and infrastructure that supports the transportation of information and associated signaling between and among communications and information gathering devices.
BICSI provides information, education and knowledge assessment for individuals and companies in the ITS industry. We serve more than 23,000 ITS professionals, including designers, installers and technicians. These individuals provide the fundamental infrastructure for telecommunications, audio/video, life safety and automation systems. Through courses, conferences, publications and professional registration programs, BICSI staff and volunteers assist ITS professionals in delivering critical products and services, and offer opportunities for continual improvement and enhanced professional stature.
Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 100 countries. For more information, visit www.bicsi.org.
Contact: Amy Morrison, amorrison@bicsi.org, or John Bechtold, jbechtold@bicsi.org, +1 813.979.1991
