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<< back to the 2000 archive listing << Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation Commentary From The Executive Director Now is the time to set your plans in motion to attend the 87th IAFP Annual
Meeting This issue of Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation is our Annual Meeting preview issue. Beginning on page 373 you can review complete Annual Meeting information for this year's conference in Atlanta, Georgia. You can also find the most current presentation schedule at our Web site (www.foodprotection.org). While you are there, register online via our secure, online registration form. Online registration is just one of many changes implemented this year to enhance the International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. The 87th Annual Meeting will be held at the Hilton Atlanta Hotel beginning August 6 and concluding August 9. Features you have come to expect from the leading food safety conference in the world continue at this year's Meeting. There are more than 300 presentations on current scientific developments in food safety and quality. This, more than ever before makes our conference the most complete forum to exchange pertinent information on protecting the food supply. Many networking opportunities during the conference allow interaction with speakers and attendees. In the exhibit hall, more than 90 companies display the latest technology advances in equipment, instruments and information to assist you in your day-to-day responsibilities. Don't forget Committees and Professional Development Groups (PDGs) meet on Sunday so plan to arrive in time to participate. A list of our Committee and PDG Chairpersons is shown on page 370. Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings. To learn more about how you can participate, either contact the Chairperson directly or contact our office.
Excellent tours have been arranged for your traveling companion to participate in. Stops at CNN, the World of Coca-Cola, Martin Luther King's Museum, the Swan House, the Carter Center and many other interesting sites are included. A very special Monday Night Social will take place at Fernbank Museum of Natural History. This facility is a magnificent new museum housing standing displays on the terrain of Georgia, collections from ancient Persia, Tibet and other exotic locations, and an educational look at the culture of the "First Georgians." The most spectacular exhibit in the museum is a display of ancient Egyptian artifacts including jewelry, mummies and pages from the Book of the Dead. This is the only city in the United States to show these world-renowned artifacts on loan from the National Museum of Antiquities in The Netherlands. Plan to be with us for this exciting evening of socializing and exploring the past! Now for some of the new features you will find at the 87th Annual Meeting. On Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., we scheduled an "Affiliate Educational Session" to cover topics of interest to our Affiliate officers and delegates. The presentation will cover liability insurance, D & O insurance and insurance coverage needed when holding a meeting, conference or workshop. If you are involved with an Affiliate organization, you must plan to attend! Following the Affiliate Educational Session, an orientation for new Members and first time attendees will be held beginning at 4:30 p.m. This is an opportunity to meet the Executive Board and learn more about the Association, our Committee and PDG structure and events and sessions coming up during the Meeting. All new Members who have joined within the last year and first time attendees are encouraged to attend this one-hour, informal session. On Sunday, a newly formed Student Professional Development Group will meet for lunch. This PDG will provide students the opportunity to network with peers and will serve as a point for employers to seek qualified applicants. Anna Lammerding, Health Canada and Gale Prince, The Kroger Co., will make presentations during the luncheon. To participate in the luncheon, students should sign up when registering for the Annual Meeting. If you are not able to attend but want to be involved with the PDG, contact Scott Burnett at sburnett@cfsqe.griffin.peachnet.edu or call the Association office. There will also be a job board in the student booth located in the exhibit hall for employers to post openings and students to post resumes. With so many new and special events taking place, sometimes we lose sight of the foundation of the Meeting - the PROGRAM! On behalf of all Members and attendees, I want to thank the many, many people who agree to come to our conference to present cutting-edge information to our attendees. I also want to thank David Golden and the Program Committee for their dedication to the Association in developing this year's program. In addition, the Local Arrangements Committee, chaired by Ed Giera, Judy Harrison, and Pam Metheny has provided excellent guidance in planning our special events. We look forward to their help during the Meeting, along with the entire Georgia Association of Food and Environmental Sanitarians. Now is the time to set your plans in motion to attend the 87th International
Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting. Review the program content,
complete the registration form (don't forget, you can register online at www.
foodprotection.org), make your hotel reservation (see page 390); then prepare
to network with the leaders in food science, safety and quality. We look forward
to seeing you in Atlanta! |