The 62nd Annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon® 2011) heads to the Peach State, so-called for the importance of peaches in Georgia’s agricultural economy. Once part of an American Indian village called “Standing Peachtree,” Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the State of Georgia. Pittcon 2011 will be held March 13–18, 2011, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta (Figure 1). The conference brings together 16–20,000 scientists, researchers, technicians, exhibitors, and educators from more than 85 countries.
Figure 1 Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Atlanta is at the center of health and science innovation and is home to more than 300 bioscience companies. This region is a highly ranked bioscience community supported by academic institutions such as Emory University, Georgia State University, and Morehouse College; pharmaceutical/biotech leaders including Ciba Vision Corp., Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Pfeiffer Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Geo-Vax Labs Inc.; food and beverage companies such as Coca-Cola, ADM, and Nestle; government institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Georgia Water and Wastewater Institute (GWWI); and energy suppliers such as Georgia Power and GE Energy.
The majority of Pittcon travelers will be flying into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports and top-ranked international gateway to the United States, located a few miles south of the central business district of Atlanta.
Atlanta is likely to draw many visitors from the Gulf Coast, Tennessee, the southeastern states, and Florida. Although Atlanta has much strength in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and the health sciences industry, Pittcon 2011 will still place great emphasis on traditional analytical science as well. Expected key targets for the meeting include academic, government, general industrial, life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotech, food quality/food safety, and environmental.
The city has much to offer on the fun side, with a myriad of diverse dining experiences and local attractions. According to Forbes magazine (www.forbes.com), Atlanta ranked the seventh most popular destination of international visitors of any city in the United States, with a reported total of 35,400,000 visitors in 2009.
Dining in Atlanta
Atlanta has a wide array of restaurants to experience daily, from traditional to ethnic dining. For the best view in town with excellent food choices, be sure to visit the Sun Dial Restaurant Bar & View, located in the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Perched 723 feet atop one of the tallest hotels, this slowly revolving restaurant and bar offers unparalleled panoramic views of the city. To search Atlanta restaurants by most popular cuisines or price visit www.atlanta.net/dining/index.aspx.
Local attractions
Atlanta is an exciting city to visit with many attractions, including the Fox Theatre, Stone Mountain Park, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Underground Atlanta, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Zoo Atlanta, and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, to name a few. The Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest aquarium, is definitely a must see. With the biggest collection of aquatic animals, it is home to 120,000 animals of 500 different species including whale sharks, the largest fish in the world. For a complete list of attractions in the area visit www.atlanta.net/50fun/completelist.asp. Transportation in the city is also easily accessible by MARTA, Atlanta’s rail and bus line.
Conclusion
Pittcon 2011 looks to be a promising and exciting exposition nestled in the leading city of a progressive “New South.” As the world’s largest annual conference and exposition for laboratory science, Pittcon 2011 will offer the latest technology and instrumentation from more than 950 exhibitors, a diverse Technical Program of over 2200 abstracts to technical presentations, more than 100 Short Courses, and networking sessions that provide the chance to exchange innovative ideas with scientists from around the world. Registration opened on September 1, 2010. For updates and additional information, visit the Pittcon Web site at www.pittcon.org. American Laboratory® looks forward to seeing you at Pittcon 2011 in Atlanta!
American Laboratory would like to acknowledge Rachel Rosenburg, Public Relations Manager, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau; Michael Votta, Director of Association and Corporate Sales, Marriott Atlanta Marquis; and Marian Nardozzi, Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist, The Pittsburgh Conference, for their southern hospitality.
Ms. Hunt is Content Editor for American Laboratory/Labcompare; e-mail: [email protected].