Process automation users gather in Nashville

More than 2100 delegates from 48 countries attended the 2006 Emerson Global Users Exchange in Nashville, USA.

More than 2100 delegates from 48 countries, all of them decision makers in the automation industry, attended the 2006 Emerson Global Users Exchange in Nashville, USA, which was held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Centre.

This year's conference was themed "learn, lead and unleash", and, as always, was arranged by Emerson's dynamic community of users.

The Emerson Global User Exchange is recognised as one of the premier user events for process automation in the world.

The five-day conference is characterised as providing excellent user presentations, industry-specific sessions, topical management round table discussions, and a large, trade-show size exhibit area.

The conference combines extensive networking opportunities and knowledge sharing, through educational presentations in a relaxing and friendly environment.

Users are given an opportunity to see and discuss Emerson Process Management's product technology roadmaps, participate in hands-on demonstrations, attend short courses, and learn how peers are tackling the challenges of improving business performance.

"The Emerson Exchange offers opportunities to everyone who attends, from the plant manager to the technician", according to James Cook, Process Control Engineer, Degussa Corporation and 2006 Chairman of the Emerson Exchange.

"With user participation in every industry business forum, management roundtable, short course and workshop, it is the premier conference by far".

"Users share the good and the bad, all to improve the bottom line of their businesses and to grow as individuals".

"Everyone leaves with something that makes them better at what they do and that is what the Exchange is all about".

Developed under the guidance of a 16-member board of directors and a five-member advisory board, the conference's five-day agenda is largely developed by users for users.

23 short courses were available this year, four of which were presented by Emerson's Education Services professionals.

This year's Emerson Global User Exchange received nearly 500 abstract submissions to fill 300 workshops in 11 technical and business tracks.

When the workshops are combined with the management round tables, product roadmaps, short courses, and industry business forums, delegates have plenty of opportunities to share and to learn.

But learning is a two-way street, and the Emerson Global User Exchange provides users with an opportunity to not only learn about the direction Emerson intends to take, but to lend direct input into those roadmaps during candid conversations with the host of Emerson product managers in attendance.

The result is an open and meaningful exchange that leads to innovative products and solutions, designed using defined and identified customer requirements.

Many innovations and key issues were presented and discussed at this year's Emerson Global User Exchange including cyber security, and asset reliability and optimisation.

Cyber security workshops, a topic that was hardly even noticed by delegates three years ago, were both abundant and well attended, reinforcing the notion that installing a firewall simply isn't enough to protect automation systems from being used to attack communities, employees, and plant assets.

Asset reliability, which is critical to achieving asset optimisation, also generated significant interest.

Asset reliability presentations ranged from the significant benefits achieved by applying better calibration practices, to designing for maintainability, to locating diagnostic information in a sea of data.

delegates had 22 workshops covering asset reliability and 23 workshops covering asset optimisation from which to choose.

Additional learning opportunities abounded in more than 4200m2 of exhibitor stands.

Besides the presence of products and services from Emerson Process Management, 43 other exhibitors provided users with opportunities to examine the latest in calibration, termination, engineering tools, power supplies, and much more.

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