Note from Terry O - This post relates to one of our conference so I apologize if this is viewed as a commercial. The real issue for this post realtes to the challenge of the location: Hawaii. I wanted to create a conversation about it and this is the best place to do so.
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Challenged by Hawaii?

Maintenance Where the Sun Does Not Shine

RCM-2007 - The Reliability Centered Maintenance Managers’ Forum
Plus
EAM-2006 – The Enterprise Asset Management Summit

Sheraton Waikiki Honolulu Hawaii


We understand and appreciate the special challenge that the location of this event presents for some companies. Please be assured that this venue was chosen to better support travel for participants from Australia, New Zealand and Asia as well as the west coast of the USA and Canada.

The richness of expertise, knowledge and experience gained from this internationally diverse audience, will far surpass any false impression of a “boondoggle” that your company management may have. Maintenance and reliability professionals should not be relegated to locations where the sun does not shine simply to prove to company management they are attending to learn. We are proud to host what we think is the first Maintenance and Reliability event in Hawaii.

Take a look at the leading companies who are presenting case studies at RCM-2007 and EAM-2007. These proactive maintenance and reliability professionals are adding hundreds of thousands of dollars and in some cases millions of dollars to their company bottom lines. Timbuktu or Honolulu is not an issue for them.

If these leaders can support participation – you may need to have a deeper conversation with yourself or your company management if the Hawaiian location is what presents the challenge.

This event includes unique learning and networking opportunities that are simply not available anywhere else.

Want to know where you stand? - ask for approval to attend (even if you do not wish to attend). I would wager that most of the upper management in your company have been to Hawaii on "business" of some sort or another.

Do you think that company management should support a valuable learning even - even if it is in Hawaii or should maintenance conferences be held in "non-destinations" where the sun does not shine?

I favor conference locations to move from year to year to provide opportunity to attend to budget-limited proffesionals. One year West Coast, next East or Central.