Inventor Dean Kamen to Keynote at PTDA and FPDA
Co-Located Fall Meeting
Chicago, Ill. – March 17, 2009 – Inventor, entrepreneur and tireless advocate
for science and technology Dean Kamen will be the opening keynote
speaker for the co-located PTDA 2009 Industry Summit and FPDA 2009 Network
Symposium. To be held on
October 22-24, 2009 at the brand new Hilton San Diego Bayfront, this is
the first time the two organizations have maximized their resources by
co-locating their fall meetings.
Most well-known as the inventor of the
Segway™ Personal Transporter, Kamen is president of DEKA Research
& Development Corporation based in Manchester, NH. DEKA is a dynamic company focused on the
development of revolutionary new technologies that span a diverse set of
applications. As an inventor, physicist and entrepreneur, Kamen holds
more than 440 U.S. and foreign
patents, many of them for innovative medical devices that have expanded
the frontiers of health care worldwide. He has dedicated his life to developing
technologies that help people lead better lives, and this inspired him
to found the non-profit US FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology). The vision of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and
technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs
that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire
innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including
self-confidence, communication, and leadership. Kamen’s commitment to inspiring young people’s
interest in science and technology makes him an ideal keynote speaker
for the two organizations.
Co-locating the
fall meetings of the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA)
and The FPDA Motion and Control Network (FPDA) will create natural
synergies for both organizations. The theme for the co-located meeting is
“What’sYour Next Move?” and will feature programming designed to help
participants prepare for life after the recession. Attended by leaders in the industrial distribution industry,
members from PTDAand FPDA will
share keynote speakers, workshop sessions and networking events over two
days.
“Working together with FPDA on
this conference is just another way we’re recognizing that many of
our members are multi-faceted, seeking to be a complete resource for
their customers,” said Drew Tucci, 2009 PTDA president. “By joining forces
with FPDA for this event, we’re able to bring to our collective
membership speakers like Dean Kamen who can spark the innovation and
energy they need to design their next move.”
“The leadership of The FPDA
Motion & Control Network is looking forward with great anticipation
to this co-located event with PTDA,” said Richard Neels, FPDA president-elect who will
assume the association’s presidency in spring 2009 and will
preside over the fall event. “As distributors in the industrial
and mobile markets, FPDA and PTDA members have a lot in common, and by co-sponsoring many of the
events, we are each able to offer our members a top-notch program and
unparalleled networking among distributors and manufacturers. With both
associations contributing to the program planning, this is shaping up to
be an extraordinary event and we're proud to be part of it.
In addition to Kamen, Alan Beaulieu of
the Institute for Trend Research will speak at the closing luncheon,
offering his amazingly accurate insights into this unprecedented
economy. Workshop sessions will assist participants in positioning their
companies to be ready to ride the first wave of upturn with focused
content on uncovering the hottest markets, planning to enter those new
markets and minimizing the risks associated with seizing
opportunities.
A key component of the co-located
meetings will be the Motion Control Technical Conference and
Showcase. The Motion Control
Technical Conference is the premier event for technical specialists in
the power transmission/ motion control (PT/MC) industry to learn about
motion control trends and technologies. Part forum, part technical
benchmarking, the Technical Conference focuses on the latest trends and
information in the motion control arena. The Motion Control Showcase offers
manufacturers of motion control products a venue to display their
hardware, software and services to those who market and sell motion
control products throughout North America. The sponsoring associations are also inviting local
FIRST Robotics
Competition teams to demonstrate motion control capabilities by
displaying and operating their competition robots during the
Showcase.
For more information about the
co-located meetings, visit www.ptda.org/IndustrySummit or www.fpda.org
The FPDA Motion & Control Network is an
international trade association representing approximately 300 member
distributors, manufacturers, service providers and trade publications in
the fluid power and motion technology industry. For more information,
visit FPDA’s website at www.fpda.org.
Founded in 1960, the Power
Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) is the leading association
for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC)
distribution channel. A
U.S.-based trade association, PTDA represents 204 power transmission/motion control distribution
firms that generate more than $10 billion in sales and span 3,500
locations in North America and 12 other countries. PTDA members also include 198 manufacturers that supply the PT/MC
industry.
PTDA is dedicated to providing
exceptional networking, targeted education, relevant information and
leading-edge business tools to help distributors and manufacturers meet
marketplace demands competitively and profitably. For more information, visit www.ptda.org.
|
