STLE 2017 offers rich experiences

Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report March 2017

Wherever they’re held, technical conferences sharpen your perspective, bolster your knowledge base and expand your network.
 

Conferences offer an opportunity to connect with the people who can help you meet your professional and business goals.
THE BAVARIAN TOWN OF ROSENHEIM, GERMANY, is about 4,800 miles (7,725 km) from Atlanta, Ga., in the southern U.S. But my recent trip to Rosenheim caused me to discover that these two distant locations share some common ground. 

Rosenheim hosted the 2017 version of an important European-based technical meeting known as the OilDoc Conference and Exhibition. STLE’s director of professional development Bob Gresham and I were among the 400 participants at the three-day event (see Bob’s report here).

My experiences in Rosenheim and at some related meetings in Germany got me thinking about the value of the STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition, which takes place in Atlanta on May 21-25.

Conferences provide a unique opportunity to learn about emerging trends in the field and to get a better perspective on how different elements of that trend fit into a bigger picture. They also bolster your knowledge base by providing the opportunity for continuing professional education.

Case in point from the OilDoc Conference was a presentation on the role of Big Data in the oil analysis business. The explosion of data from multiple sources—a trend well documented for the past five years—offers up opportunities for innovation and productivity but also presents many challenges. Thanks to the OilDoc Conference, I now have a much better sense of how this data revolution could spark changes in the tribology and lubricants sector.

Attend the STLE Annual Meeting in Atlanta and you are almost sure to have one or more similar experiences thanks to a multifacted technical program that addresses virtually all areas of tribology research and lubrication best practices. The five-day event includes nearly 500 technical presentations and 12 one-day technical education courses. 

Conferences offer added value by presenting the opportunity to connect with the people who can help you meet professional or business goals. I returned from OilDoc with a stack of business cards and a list of follow-up projects from contacts made during the event. My encounters included discussions about STLE with the editor of an important trade journal that covers the industry in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Another valuable connection was made with an STLE member eager to start a local section in his area to meet demands for education and certification opportunities.

The STLE Annual Meeting in Atlanta will welcome 1,600 participants from around the world, representing a full range of prestigious corporate, government and academic institutions involved in tribology and lubricants. About 25% of the attendees normally are from outside of North America. The annual meeting program is arranged to provide ample opportunity to make connections at the two and a half-day trade show and at formal and informal networking events.

Once the curtain closed on the 2017 OilDoc Conference, there was one more opportunity to make productive use of the time in Europe. The last stop before heading back to the U.S. was a side trip of about 150 miles (241 km) to Herzogenaurach for a meeting with senior technical leadership at Schaeffler Group, the huge supplier of bearings and other components to the automotive and industrial markets. It resulted in a valuable exchange about ways that STLE and Schaeffler can collaborate in areas of mutual interest.

While this sort of side trip is not always an option at a conference, the Atlanta location puts STLE attendees in an airport hub for cities in the southeast and eastern parts of the U.S. It is also within easy driving distance from a number of major industrial centers in states like Alabama and Tennessee. 

Go to www.stle.org for details on how to register for the meeting and to enjoy these sorts of benefits. Check out the program and match it against your technical and business needs. You’ll find that Atlanta is the place to be on May 21-25.


You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.