For us, walking into the empty Pennsylvania Convention Center on the Friday before AIHce EXP began and seeing the conference stars-and-stripes banners for the first time is when it all became real. This was when the months of building session web pages, holding conference calls, coordinating logistics via email, and working with our committees and speakers came to a head, and we were ready to see our hard work pay off. It takes almost an entire year to put each AIHce EXP education program together. By the time the event happens, we’re already requesting speaker proposals for the upcoming year’s show! ​

This year we implemented a new speaker preparation program to improve the AIHce education experience, for attendees and speakers alike. This included:

• an exclusive AIHce EXP speaker discussion group in our online community, Catalyst, for speakers to swap tips and tricks and get advice for presenting
• the opportunity for presenters to blog and drum up interest for their conference presentations
• a webinar for speakers on how to give an engaging presentation
• numerous articles and videos on how to create better slide decks and facilitate discussions

We hear time and time again that education is one of the top reasons to attend AIHce EXP. But it’s nice to see the numbers to back it up.

This year, we held 67 PDCs and 170 sessions with well over 500 speakers and moderators. Over 4,000 OEHS professionals attended this year, and with evaluations sent out at the end of each day, we received upwards of 1,000 responses (that’s a significant response rate in the association world). The average rating of AIHce EXP’s PDCs was 4.17 out of 5, and our main conference education average was 4.19!

Overall survey feedback indicated that attendees enjoyed the wide range of topics and the ability to catch up on sessions they missed via on-demand​ access post-conference. The switch to organized one-hour time blocks was also a hit this year, allowing more time for networking and experiential learning in the Expo Hall.

We always strive to provide the top-notch education that AIHce EXP is known for, but we know it would not be possible without our volunteers. Please join us in congratulating those who presented the top-performing Professional Development Courses (PDCs) and education sessions.

Top PDCs

1. Methods and Applications for Chemical Detection in Real Time, taught by Philip Smith, PhD, CIH; Jim Cornish; Robert Henderson, MBA; and William Mills
2. Strengthening EHS Leadership & Teamwork, taught by Carter Ficklen III, CIH, CSP; Jason Kunz; and Perry Logan, PhD, CIH
3. The Fundamentals of an Effective Respiratory Protection Program, taught by Megan Torgrude; Jessica Hauge, CIH, CSP, MPH; and Scott Larson, CIH, CSP
4. If I'm Teaching, Why Aren't They Learning?!, taught by Jonathan Klane, M.S.Ed., CIH, CSP.
5. Electrical Safety I - Basic Principles & Engineering Controls, taught by Paul Zoubek, CSP, CIH, CESCP.

Top Education Sessions

1. Bring Out Your Dead: Changing Exposures in the Death Industry, presented by Eva Glosson and Kat Gregerson, WA State Department of Labor and Industries
2. Days of Our Lives: Practical Applications for the IH Laboratory and their Customers. Part 4: A Stranger in Town: HSE Role in Protecting Worker Encounters with Illicit Drugs, presented by Roberta Smith, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment; and Donna Heidel, CIH, FAIHA, Bureau Veritas North America
3. Healthcare Worker Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs, presented by Dr. Christine Roussel, PharmD, BCOP, Doylestown Hospital
4. Ask the Expert: Opioids Keynote Panel, presented by Steven E. Lacey, PhD, CIH, CSP; Kemp Chester, Associate Director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy; Donna S. Heidel, CIH, FAIHA, AIHA Board; John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM, MBA, Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel, Philadelphia
5. Upton Sinclair Lecture: North America's Invisible Workers, presented by Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Toronto Star

Want to hear more? Our August blog post will feature thoughts and insights from veteran AIHce EXP speakers. If you’re interested in presenting at the 2019 conference in Minneapolis, the call for proposals​ is already open. We look forward to preparing for another excellent program!