A Great and Unique Opportunity
The Annual AAPG Convention is a little more than a month away and I am proud to report that our HGS membership was heavily involved with the convention organization. Why do so many people become involved with the organization of such a meeting? In large part I believe that this volunteerism is a result of their shared interest in providing a broad range of opportunities to their fellow members of the profession. What are some of these opportunities? The annual convention provides the perfect environment for networking, a “one stop shop” for learning what’s new in our specialties, and expanding outside of our technical domains and specialties. The ability to expand our knowledge base, outside of our usual job responsibilities may be of the greatest value because it is often difficult to justify a class or conference to management which might not impact every day activities. However a session or two at a major meeting is one way to accomplish this without that management pushback. Now a little more thought on the opportunities available at the upcoming meeting, including how I plan the time I spend at AAPG. In a world where virtual networks such as Facebook and Linked-In are growing exponentially, it is important to remember just how important face-to-face communication remains. The “social” part of the convention provides an opportunity for building one’s network. The value of a network does not rest simply with the number of connections, but rather in the interaction among the members of the network: obtaining and providing solutions to problems, and providing necessary contacts. Although a growing number of the interactions associated with professional networks may be virtual, the usefulness of a network is heavily dependent on trust, which is most often established through face-to-face interactions. What better time than at this year’s convention! Consider targeting some people to add to your network. Check the program. See where and when you might find them to make that important initial contact. Connections that you make this year may be important five years in the future, so value all of your contacts. This year’s technical program provides many of those learning opportunities that I keep espousing. I spent some time over the last few days reviewing this year’s technical program. I must first compliment the committee. The program is diverse in content as well as format, with something for everyone. I developed a game plan to determine how I will be spending my three days at the George R. Brown Convention Center. I have decided to balance my time between strengthening my core area, expanding my technical understanding of areas that I have recently begun working in, and gaining a basic understanding in a few areas that just seem to be interesting. The Convention is providing me with several ways to tackle my professional growth. You will most probably find me in a few of the forums where different perspectives will be debated amongst panel members, especially in those where I anticipate some very divergent opinions. I am particularly interested in those dealing with unconventional resources. Some of the oral sessions in my areas of expertise are also in my plan. These sessions provide the opportunity to see what is new, what has changed, and meet those working in my field. I also generally volunteer to judge those sessions. I view judging as an opportunity to truly think about what is being said and how it is being said and provide some feedback. There are also some sessions where my interest is in specific talks and I will pop in and out of those sessions. These talks tend to fall into three categories: 1) something outside my technical specialty but related and may potentially impact how I do my job, 2) an interesting title or well known presenter irrespective of the topic, and 3) supporting friends and colleagues. I will also be wandering the poster sessions. Over the course of time I have come to believe the posters are more informative than the oral sessions largely because of the potential for interaction, not only with the author but with others that are interested in the presentation.This is my plan for attending the conference. I offer my thoughts to encourage others to give consideration to the time they spend at the meeting. We will see how my plans workout this year. By the way, last year, I shared my thoughts on how I was going to approach the New Orleans meeting. I did follow through on ensuring that the meeting was a broadening opportunity.I would like to offer a few more thoughts for you to consider. With this year’s AAPG meeting soon to be history, start considering how you may become involved with the next two AAPG Conventions scheduled for Houston, between now and 2017.These meetings just don’t happen by themselves; volunteers are needed at multiple levels. I know that since becoming Editor I have asked you to consider becoming a volunteer and mentor, but I have at least one more selfish request. Please join us at the Opening Ceremony for this year’s convention. Yes there is an actual event before the Ice Breaker. Several HGS members will be recognized by the Association and it would be great to fill the hall. I hope to see you at the George R. Brown! Until next month…