Conference Presentations

[ChuckDickerson]

There are many interesting conference presentations planned again this year. Unfortunately not everyone can be in Atlanta to benefit from them. Generally most professional conferences publish the conference proceedings in some form or another. Is there any one single official place where people that can’t make it to Atlanta can go to review the presentations online? It seems like there should be a FIRST web page with all of the presentation PowerPoint files, etc. and maybe even video of the actual presentations so the whole FIRST community can benefit from these wonderful presentations.

[JaneYoung]

There is and has been:
http://www.usfirst.org/community/fir....aspx?id=11300

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and it will lead you to the 2008 presentations that have been available.

This is one of those behind-the-scenes wonders of the FIRST Championship. The folks who submit abstracts work hard to get those submitted in a timely fashion and then work hard on the presentations, themselves. The committee that works with the selection process is quiet but helps keep things running smoothly. The person who applies the elbow grease and works with FIRST in organizing the time slots, the rooms, and then continues working with the presenters with the time slots and availability is Colleen Shaver. When you see her, please give her a thank you for everything she does to help make this a success for everyone involved. Wednesday and Thursday, you will be able to find her outside the presentation rooms, keeping everyone on track.

The presentations weren't immediately posted following the Championship last year but they were posted in a relatively timely fashion. You can check on that over the days and weeks following the event. It's a really super part of the Championship. I know teams and volunteers are very busy but to take a little bit of time to listen to and learn from these presenters is so worth it. If you can't make it in person but watch the presentations at a later date, please take the time to let the presenters know how much it meant to you. This is one of those things where direct feedback and support helps encourage folks to throw their hat in the ring at future Championships. We know times are tough this year and perhaps teams don't have the monies needed to fill the chairs as full as we'd like to see them. The positive feedback and thank yous will go a long way towards letting everyone know what a great opportunity this is and the impact that the presentations have had. It makes their hard work feel valued and appreciated. No small thing.

Jane

[IndySam]

http://first.wpi.edu/Workshops/index.html

[ChuckDickerson]

Thanks so much for the links. Maybe it is just me but sometimes I find it hard to locate things on the FIRST website even if I know what I am looking for and that it is there somewhere. I knew there should be something like this page, I just didn't know FIRST would direct me to a WPI page instead.

Thanks again!

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by DeepWater

Thanks so much for the links. Maybe it is just me but sometimes I find it hard to locate things on the FIRST website even if I know what I am looking for and that it is there somewhere. I knew there should be something like this page, I just didn't know FIRST would direct me to a WPI page instead.

Thanks again!

The website has been going through changes.

I just tried to find my hotel in the Championship section and had a wonderful time looking at all the incredible photos of the teams. So cool.

Oh, and Chuck, by starting this thread - you shed more light on the awesome presentations and their availability in the future. Win win.