Mechanical and Design Engineering conferences

[HemiBuell]

I currently have the opportunity to attend a few conferences in the coming year on the company dollar. I have never attended a formal professional conference only training seminars.

I was wondering if anyone here has suggestions on quality conferences or seminars they have attended in the past. My focus would be design and the medical device industry. However I am very open to any mechanical engineering conference opportunities. I am currently signed up for one conference regarding biomaterials.

Thanks
Chris

 

[CESSNA1]

HEMIBUELL: Congratulations, conferences and meetings are a good place to make contacts and find out what other people/companies are doing. Take plenty of your business cards so you can swap them with people you meet at the show. There will propbably be booths with vendors and manufacturer's. Visit them and talk with them. Pick up their freebies and brochures. Ask questions and meet people. It is usually easier to meet people here than elsewhere, because they are more open and receptive in this environment. Have fun and enjoy the time.

Regards
Dave

 

[Jabberwocky]

Well, the 'biggie' medical device shows really depend upon what flavor you like, but for orthopaedics:

AAOS
AANS
SA5 (6, 7, 8)
NASS

The main 'customer' for these are surgeons but everybody in the industry has a booth.

 

[gebauer]

Also check out the MD&M show. It's geared toward medical device manufacturing.

 

[HemiBuell]

The MD&M show is on my list, I just found the website. From the website it seems more like a trade show than an educational event. Which is fine for my intentions.

Jabberwocky, NASS is supposed to be a great show but we send a ton of people there so it's hard for a young engineer to get into that one. Most of the people who go there attend to meet with surgeons and not to just walk around and see new things. Which is the exact reason I will be attending shows this year.

I got the approval today to attend at least one surgery and one cadaver lab. Those should be really interesting.

Anybody else out there with some suggestions? I was hoping this thread would have a lot more input.