The future according to Yogi
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report February 2021
A sage from the past’s 2021 perspective.
Yogi Berra once observed that, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”
The American baseball star Yogi Berra distinguished himself on the playing field as a catcher for the New York Yankees from 1946-1963. He appeared in 14 World Series and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Berra died in 2015 at age 90.
Berra is remembered for his athletic skills and quirky statements that have earned him lasting recognition as a colloquial philosopher. Two of the most quoted, for those who might not be familiar, are: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it,” and “You can observe a lot by just watching.”
Another of Berra’s many observations was about the future. He once said, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” Given the state of the world in early 2021, that is not a bad way to think about the personal and professional challenges and adjustments that will be necessary during the coming months.
From STLE’s perspective, our organization has been adjusting to this new future since March 2020. We have been able to make a successful—but hopefully temporary—transition to virtual meetings at both the national and local level. The 2020 Tribology Frontiers Conference was presented on a virtual platform to a record number of 345 participants, with a program that included more than 100 technical presentations and eight keynote speakers. Not everything worked perfectly, but post-conference surveys showed that it was a remarkable and rewarding week for the tribology community.
This new future continues in 2021. The STLE Annual Meeting program and planning teams are implementing the STLE Board of Directors’ decision that the 75th STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition will be a virtual meeting held May 17-20, 2021. Most of the technical content and commercial elements of the event have been transitioned to the virtual format. It will include more than 300 papers presented in 10 technical tracks over the four-day meeting. Suppliers will connect with registrants through virtual exhibit booths and in the popular Commercial Marketing Forum sessions.
The technical education program also moves online but with a schedule change that is made possible by the virtual format. STLE’s Education Committee is converting five courses dealing with basic and advanced lubrication and metalworking fluids to be presented online, weekly starting in early May and concluding during the first full week of June. No course will be presented during the Annual Meeting dates.
Details on the technical program and education courses are available at
www.stle.org and through the weekly STLE Update newsletter. Right now, three things are worth noting about the virtual Annual Meeting and the advantages offered to the STLE community.
First, the cost to attend is much lower because there are no travel, hotel or food expenses. We expect this will expand the meeting audience to individuals who typically cannot attend. Second, there will be greater access to content during and after the meeting—sessions will be recorded and made available to participants for 90 days following the conclusion of the meeting. Finally, the STLE Annual Meeting will be using virtual technology that has been improved to support valuable functionality such as keyword searching. This allows people to find all papers based on topic, regardless of the technical track assignment, and to locate papers being presented by a specific author.
Another Yogi-ism about the future is the perfect way to close out this column. He reportedly once observed that, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”
How true! Predictions made for 2021 are going to be subject to surprises in today’s volatile environment. But, in STLE’s world, there is certainty that leadership and staff remain committed to delivering on the value proposition stated in the current STLE Strategic Plan. We will find ways to help members Connect, Learn and Achieve as we make STLE an even more amazing technical society.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.