Bump into a 'Cover'? Where the Elite Meet to eat? Are you a Turtle?

[Wes Bucey]

In your case, with your history, you have a lot to be paranoid about, Randy.

Do you realize it's been just about a year since we met for the first time? We definitely need more frequent meetings with lots of fellow Covers. Coming up later this month - Quality thing in Rosemont, IL with Quality Goddess and maybe Marc. Who else can spare the time?

 

[Randy]

I think it will be a year on the 21st. I had a very quick 1 day (2 night) trip to Lisle last week. The evenings were booked so I knew we couldn't meet up.

I'll be back for some more conversation

 

[Wes Bucey]

The venue for the event is The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on River Road in Rosemont (a tiny town tucked in between Chicago and O'Hare International Airport.)

There is a map on the town webpage (http://www.rosemont.com) showing location of convention center, hotels and parking. It is VERY convenient to O'Hare.

I'm including a graphic copied from the town website and can answer questions about the area if you have them.

It is within an easy walk from the train station (the famous Chicago "El") which goes into O'Hare Terminal. From this train station, one can connect with anywhere in Chicago. The Chicago Transit Authority sells a one day unlimited pass for trains, buses, for a small fee.
Otherwise, fare is $1.75 each way. Train stations have vending machines to buy pass with cash or credit card

So - who is attending? What days? Let me know by PM with your cell phone number and I'll respond with mine so we can hook up. Then I'll send a PM to all with each of our cell #'s and agendas so we can work out our hookups. I'm still looking over the schedule and I may attend at least these events:
Tuesday
FREE Panel: AIAG, NIST, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler
Global Harmonization efforts to achieve metrology interoperability
Tuesday, April 19 11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Room 12
Panelists: Robert Waite, Manager, Advanced Metrology Group, DaimlerChrysler; Glenn Allen, Supervisor, QC Inspection Department, Ford motor Company; Akram Yunas, Program Manager, AIAG, Collaborative Engineering & Product Development Initiatives; John Horst, Metrology Interoperability Project Manager, NIST, U.S. DOC .
The Automotive Industries Action Group, Metrology Interoperability Project Team (AIAG, MIPT) has active participation from many of the key dimensional metrology software providers, CMM vendors, and OEMs worldwide. MIPT develops and enables plug and play within dimensional metrology systems, so that open, common, and fully functional interfaces exists between all the subsystems commonly found in dimensional metrology systems. This panel will discuss the progress made toward achieving the goal of metrology interoperability and unveil future plans.
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FREE Quality Magazine Panel
Lean and Six Sigma: Can They Work Together?
Moderator: Thomas A. Williams, Publisher, Quality Magazine
Tuesday, April 19 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Room 12
Lean manufacturing focuses in increasing efficiency in productivity by streamlining as many processes as possible and maximizing available resources. Six Sigma places an emphasis on analysis and understanding a process in great detail. These two practices--seemingly at odds with each other--can be used together to create an ever improving, efficient production environment. The panel will include practitoners and experts in both Six Sigma and lean manufacturing who have experience in using these systems together.
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FREE Quality Expo Networking Reception
Tuesday, April 19 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm - Conference Lobby Area
Join your peers for complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages while Mike Micklewright, President of QualityQuest, entertains you with a comedy routine that makes fun of fellow quality professionals and relates quality concepts to everyday life. Then, join Quality magazine for their presentation of their inaugural "Quality Plant of the Year" award.
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Wednesday
FREE Quality Digest Panel: Surviving Outsourcing
Moderator: Dirk Dusharme, Editor-In-Chief, Quality Digest
Wednesday, April 20 11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Room 12
You can't dodge it. More and more of your customers are taking their business overseas. What can you do to identify and exploit your company's unique qualities that make it a more viable choice than an overseas vendor? Our panel of companies who have successfully fought the outsourcing dragon will tell you how.

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FREE: ASQ "Future of Quality" Cafe Experience
Wednesday, April 20 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm in Room 12
Join others to explore the future of quality, the possible implications to Manufacturers, and perhaps the implications of the changing landscape on you. We're sure you'll thoroughly enjoy the experience of engaging peers in lively dialogues about issues that really matter to you.

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and maybe, on Thursday (only a "maybe")
Thursday April 21, 2005
FREE Quality Digest Panel: The Future of the Quality Professional
Moderator: Dirk Dusharme, Editor-In-Chief, Quality Digest
Thursday, April 21 10:00 am - 11:00 am - Room 14
The times they are changing. Downsizing, outsourcing, automation and globalization all impact the scope (or life) of today's quality professional. Our expert panel will provide you insight into what changes to watch for and how you can steer your career development to make yourself more valuable to your company or perhaps another company.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Just a "bump up" since the thread got lost in the weekend doldrums. Who is attending the Quality Expo 2005 Tuesday and/or Wednesday, April 12/20?

 

[Marc]

Well.... That's this Wednesday and I plan to stop by there on the 20th if we all agree on a time and place to meet. For me - I'll be driving up from Cincinnati and probably staying in a hotel for the night - But haven't booked one yet (hoping someone will take me in for a night being cheap?) waiting to see what the scoop is. I only planned on going because a few folks said they'd be there and my schedule was clear. A few things have come up to complicate matters some, but I can make it if several people are going to show up.

So I'm sorta on the bench. We need a plan... And quick...

 

[Marc]

I got a PM on this... Folks, I was KIDDING about someone taking me in for a night!

 

[Marc]

Well..... I don't like to do this but since I started looking at this a while back a number of things have come up which will make it a bad time to leave Cincy for the day (well 2 with a stayover). The major reason is I am getting things together for a trip to Thailand in a couple of weeks to meet with Paul Robere whom I've been in intermittent contact with since about 1998. The course I did last week was 'last minute' and I'm cleaning up the ashes from that (tests are graded and such but I still have to print and laminate certificates, etc.). And my lawn mower of about 10 years decided to putter out on me this morning. And a lady friend has topped things off with some requirements she has. And <insert more excuses here>.

I'm sorry I won't make this one.

 

[Jim Wynne]

And my lawn mower of about 10 years decided to putter out on me this morning. And a lady friend has topped things off with some requirements she has.

Can't she take care of the lawnmower?

 

[Marc]

Ummm.... She has a pickup truck to pick up a new one if I have to. I think this one is pretty well done in...

As to the whether she can take care of it.... I'll let YOU ask her that...

 

[Wes Bucey]

Lovely meeting with Quality Goddess today. Wow! She's TALL!

See my other comments about the ASQ "cafe" at ASQ "cafe" - is there hope? (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=106248&postcount=1)