Forums of the Future

The TIE Forum, which stands for "Technology, Industry, and Education Forum," is a part of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) conference portfolio, where professionals from various sectors gather to discuss and explore the latest advancements in geospatial technology. Sidharth Misra and Omkar Pradhan from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory discuss their journeys and involvement with IEEE and GRSS. The TIE Forum was once a catch-all type of programming at IGARSS, with topics ranging from women in engineering, young professionals, industry-related talks, and soft skills. But because it has grown in popularity, the process of selecting speakers has become more and more of a full time job for the organizing committee ‒ a good problem to have indeed! Listen in to the impact of this forum on the larger GRSS conference portfolio, hear memorable stories from past TIE sessions and gain insights into the future of GRSS conferences and events. 

Allison Marsh, an associate professor at the University of South Carolina and a historian of technology, authored an insightful article in IEEE Spectrum about the first-ever virtual meeting held in 1916 by IEEE's predecessor, AIEE. This pioneering event connected 5,100 engineers across multiple cities telephonically. In a discussion with David, together they explore the highlights of this groundbreaking transcontinental gathering. The historical significance of this event and its striking parallels to modern virtual meetings remain relevant today. In 2024, IEEE celebrated its 140th anniversary - and Allison underscores the present-day importance of incorporating social elements and creativity into virtual meetings to enhance engagement, much like our engineering forefathers did over a century ago - with musical interludes and splashy keynote speakers. To read Allison Marsh's article in IEEE Spectrum, visit https://spectrum.ieee.org/virtual-meeting

Discover the transformative power of Event Design and how it can elevate your conference to new heights! In this episode, Ruud Janssen from the Event Design Collective delves into the innovative world of event design, uncovering its ability to shape attendee behavior and inspire lasting, positive psychological shifts. Together with David, they explore how these strategies can help organizations like IEEE attract fresh audiences and drive meaningful engagement. Learn how to overcome resistance from key stakeholders by identifying the root causes of event failure and unlocking the secrets to successful, impactful transformations – for your event and your delegates. To learn more about Event Design using the #EventCanvas Methodology and learn more about the common language for Event Design click here

Missy Russell, Executive Director at the IEEE Computer Society, and David delve into the strategy shaping the future of technology and the events industry. Missy shares key initiatives her group is focusing on and how their events support these objectives. Discover how they align their strategy with the evolving needs of their technical communities and “conference groupings.” David also explores the challenges and opportunities of Open Access for conferences with Missy, and how the Computer Society is addressing them. Missy discusses activating social good through conferences, including co-locating mission-focused programs with larger events. Finally, the two chat about the “whole-system approach” of Convene, and ‘One IEEE' events, and how other IEEE societies can adopt these concepts.

In this episode, we'll explore Melbourne, Australia's standing as a global destination for business events. The city is undeniably Australia's events capital and has earned the esteemed title of ‘Oceania's Leading Meetings and Conference Destination' an impressive nine times. The honor underscores Melbourne's unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in hosting world-class business events. The Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has played a pivotal role in driving the city's international recognition, consistently showcasing Melbourne's capacity to cater to leading international association conferences – including IEEE events. David interviews special guests, Julia Swanson, Chief Executive Officer of the Melbourne Convention Bureau and IEEE Victorian Section Chair, Vijay Paul about the city's exceptional fusion of world-class infrastructure, a vibrant cultural scene, accessibility, and robust engineering industry expertise. See highlights of Melbourne and for more information visit: www.melbournecb.com.au

In this latest installment of “Forums of the Future,” David interviews Alex Alles, Executive Director of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC). Learn about the organization's mission and the pivotal role it plays in shaping a sustainable future for the events industry. Alex delves into the pressing urgency of sustainability and climate change within the event sector, highlighting the significant impact of new regulatory measures such as France's short-haul flight ban. The conversation also covers JMIC's Net Zero Carbon Events initiative and the importance of measurement and reporting in achieving sustainable meeting practices. Organizers should tune in for an inspiring look at how conferences should be thinking about meeting the sustainability challenges of not only the future, but the present.

In this episode, David sits down with Mary Ellen Randall to delve into the MOVE Community Outreach program, an important initiative within IEEE. As a 501(c)(3) public charity, IEEE's commitment to charitable programs like MOVE is a cornerstone of its mission. Mary Ellen discusses the program's origin, purpose, and how easy and fun it can be to integrate philanthropy into a conference's program – listeners will walk away with an understanding of how this can have a big impact on mobilizing organizers and attendees for a greater cause. They also discuss the future of the MOVE Truck program, revealing plans for expansion, including additional vehicles and broader geographic reach, ensuring that IEEE continues to make a tangible difference worldwide on its tagline, advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

We're exploring the cutting-edge realm of holographic technology with our special guest Terry Davis, SVP at ARHT Media. As David delves into the fascinating world of holograms and their application in modern conferences and events, Terry gives us an insider's view of ARHT Media, a Toronto-based company at the forefront of this innovative field. Terry shares his journey and the mission of the company, and how this technology is revolutionizing how we interact with digital content by bringing lifelike holographic experiences to audiences worldwide. Watch the hologram in action at this LINK. 

Join David as he dives into the transformative impact of AI on research paper publication with Laura Harvey, Chief Customer Officer, Ex Ordo – exploring how AI reshapes authorship, enhances peer review, and makes research more accessible. They discuss ChatGPT's influence on writing, the shift towards Open Access, and Ex Ordo's innovative solutions to support IEEE conference organizers. From leveraging AI for integrity to navigating Open Access's economic models, they cover the future of research publishing amidst industry disruptions and emerging technology.

The IEEE Boston Section made the pivot to online, as did the entire world, when the pandemic hit. However, even after coming out of COVID in 2023, this group kept several of their key conferences as completely virtual – HPEC being one of them. Why did they decide to keep this format, will it stay this way, and how can an event that was in-person from 1997-2019 survive (and thrive) as an online-only experience? Jeremy Kepner, Head of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Supercomputing Center, chats with David to explain.

In this episode, David is joined by Marie Hunter, Senior Director and Head of IEEE Global Meetings, Conferences & Events to discuss the podcast and what's in store for listeners this season. As an event evangelist, Marie talks about her optimism for the future of convening. No matter how people get together, irrespective of the format, live and in-person gatherings are where the magic happens. The types of 'forums' for our conference community to share ideas may change, but at the heart of IEEE events is the passion to advance technology for the benefit of humanity.

David speaks with IEEE Power & Energy Society Executive Director, Tim Licitra, about the 2023 IEEE PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference and Exposition (Grid Edge). Tim educates the IEEE conference organizer community on how his group successfully stood up this first-time conference, from inception, to strategy, to implementation, and their plans for its future. 

In this episode, David interviews Ramakrishna Mukkamala about the Cardiovascular Health Tech Virtual Conference. Coming out of the pandemic in 2022, this Professor in the Departments of Bioengineering and Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh (and IEEE EMBS member) decided that online conferences still had a valuable place in the events space. He decided to hold an important online meeting for his Technical Committee on CSPE with some of the best names and brightest minds in the wearable industry, like Google, Apple and Fitbit. The results were very impressive.

Tucker Miller is an executive coach, leadership consultant, attorney, and Certified Master Facilitator for ELI, a training company that helps organizations improve their workplace culture. Listen to her as she shares her insights on leadership and collaboration, particularly as they pertain to conferences. She also explains the progress she has seen with regards to diversity and inclusion as they relate to events. Organizers of IEEE should heed the advice of this engaging storyteller before they go off and plan their next conference.

Tim Trefzer (VP, Honeycomb Strategies) has led the sustainability and ESG efforts of some of the most iconic and recognizable sports teams, venues, events, and brands in the world, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff, and the NCAA Men's Final Four. David interviews Tim and gets his advice for organizers and meeting planners booking locations, while also keeping sustainability front of mind. And, the listeners of this episode will learn the numerous facets to consider when it comes to sustainability, which include not just environmental factors, but also social elements, global economics, the conservation of natural resources, and creating more inclusive experiences for all.

Dalma Novak is the Chair of the IEEE Technical Activities Board Committee on Diversity & Inclusion (TAB CDI). Her perspective on embracing our differences, and how to ensure the broad representation of people who make up our communities and contribute to technology development within IEEE, needs to be heard. DE&I is ever important when running a conference, creating your agenda, considering your speaker pool, and building a heterogeneous organizing committee. Tune in for this timely conversation on a very important topic.

The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2023 was held in London, UK from 29 May – 2 June. General Chair, Professor Kaspar Althoefer - a systems engineer on robotics at Queen Mary University of London - sat down with MCE's very own David Stankiewicz to discuss the conference's highlights of the day sessions, publicity and news coverage, sustainability, satellite conference centers, AI's impact on the events industry, and of course…robots!