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A Primer on International Association Conferences and Events – Who They Are, What Countries and Cities They Select as Event Locations and, How Do They Conduct Business
As part of my consulting practice I either subscribe to newsletters regarding the convention and meetings industry or receive news alerts on related subjects. There are many, and hardly a week goes by when there is not one or more press releases celebrating a city's booking of an important international event. These are not usual press releases but often newspaper and business journal articles. The articles are all very upbeat as if the city convention bureau had just won a lucrative piece of international business in a very competitive contest. Articles usually conclude with a statement validating the city's status and place in the world as an international city.
What Are International Association Events?
Market Definition and Size – For this article International association meetings and conferences are owned and operated by not-for profit professional associations. Some of the international event names may sound familiar to you:
- The World Congress of Surgery
- Congress of the World Federation of Physical Therapy
- World Diabetes Congress
- Parliament of the World's Religions
- World Conference on Lung Cancer
- World Parkinson's Congress
These associations are recognized as "international" and vetted by the Union of International Associations (UIA). They are carried by the Yearbook of International Organizations (a UIA publication). UIA defines the events or meetings as such:
Meetings taken into consideration include those organized and/or sponsored by the international organizations which appear in the Yearbook of International Organizations and in the International Congress Calendar, i.e. the sittings of their principal organs, congresses, conventions, symposia, regional sessions grouping several countries, as well as some national meetings with international participation organized by national branches of international associations.
In their report, UIA's international event numbers for 2014 were 12,350. The events in 2014 would play in one of 178 countries and 1,449 cities. The top ten countries and cities for 2015 are shown below:
UIA's annual International Meetings Statistics Report 57th edition – June 2016 categorizes the events using statistics such as:
- Whether the event is " organized or sponsored by "international organizations", i.e. international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) that are included in the UIA's Yearbook of International Organizations and whose details are subject to systematic collection and updates on an annual basis by the UIA"
- Dates and Location
- Size (expressed as number of participants or attendees)
- Percentage of international attendees (40% minimum).
The last bullet above is important because it is the basis for establishing value when compared to domestic events. UIA also maintains a history of each event's location back to 2001. This date range of event history is essential for determining predictable rotation patterns and calculating probabilities for successful bookings. The only shortcoming we find in the UIA material is that some events are in fact regional. An example is an international association which is in fact a European only association. Their annual conferences will never occur in Asia, Africa, Australia or the Americas. Therefore the UIA summary statistics related to international events not limited to regions are probably overstated.
There are other association and event directories such as the International Convention Centre Association (ICCA). In comparing to UIA there are big differences which we believe are related to the definition of international association events. For our purposes the UIA statistics are the most comprehensive and reliable directory of international events. Clearly any CVB or convention center pursuing events in this market would have to research and drill down in order to eliminate the improbable and focus on the possible. We believe UIA can provide this information. Their research findings and data base is available for a fee (about $1,500). You can also have research available on a continuous basis for a subscriber fee.
Bookings for International Events Comparing North American Cities to the Rest of the World
Without purchasing or referencing UIA's publications, we were able to find some useful directories which show how competitive North American cities are in booking international events. In this instance we found some timely statistics in two sources:
- The OMICS International Conferences website https://www.omicsonline.org/international-scientific-conferences/ . OMICS International organizes as many as 1,000 International Science conferences. These conferences attract world renowned personalities, scientists, entrepreneurs, budding scientists, students and policy makers. OMICS International organizes Science Congress, World Summits, and International science conferences in India, USA, Dubai, Australia and Europe. OMICS also publishes scientific journals for some of the international associations.
- Reed Elsevier's website – http://www.globaleventslist.elsevier.com/ .We all know that Reed is the largest producer of trade and professional association events in the world.
The tables below show the number and percentage for individual countries and cities for international scientific, medical and health science and engineering conferences produced in 2016 (later half) and 2017. There are no social or behavioral science events listed. These type events are the most prestigious of international conferences. Overall there are 933 events combined from both sources.
The data in the tables above, because they represent such a small amount of years, lack strong statistical validity and don't compare with the long term, more comprehensive data that could be obtained by consulting UIA's data base and research files. The tables above are useful and interesting because they infer how strong the US is in the scientific fields as well as showing destination appeal for the US and certain US cities.
What Criteria Do these Associations Consider in Making Event Location and Venue Decisions?
In many respects the criteria are similar to the criteria used for a tradeshow or domestic association meeting. There are however differences especially the priority of certain criteria. From the literature and case studies we researched, these are the principal and secondary criteria that are evaluated in making event location decisions:
- Air Transport Accessibility
- Direct flights from major centrally located cities
- Cost, Frequency and Duration of Flights – Includes information of necessary connecting flights
- Administrative Barriers – Visa and customs issues
- Local Support
- Welcoming assistance from the local association chapter and other prominent like-professionals and academics. Some cities have gone much further than an opportunistic one-off effort. The term "Ambassador Program" has taken hold. It is defined as a loose association of community leaders in advanced industries and scientific fields used to attract conventions in their specific field. This type of collaboration has been around for many years but in the past few years destinations around the world are now developing the concept more strategically and aggressively. Many European cities have well developed Ambassador Organizations. Washington DC and Vancouver have initiated similar programs and report that they are already yielding success. This program also assumes networking possibilities with local industry leaders.
- Planning, logistic and marketing support from the city CVB
- Subventions (subsidies)
- Perhaps this should be listed first. Those operators in CVBs and convention centers to whom I have spoken with agree that this decision making criteria is the most important. Typical subventions are; meeting venue rent free, free hotel accommodations and meals for association leadership, direct subsidy for marketing and other general expenses, a hosted reception and dinner provided by the hosting city or institution ( a research university is a good example), loans for marketing before registration fees are received, arranged excursions for city tourist sites and venues and shopping.
- Meeting facilities
- Number, size and configuration of meeting rooms
- Appearance of the meeting rooms
- Special services – Advanced A/V, simultaneous translation systems, F&B catering quality
- Advanced communications – Broadband services (WiFi), reliable cell service
- Customer service by venue staff
- Other
- The novelty and cultural uniqueness of the city
- Safety and security of the city
- A pleasant climate
- Hotel proximity to meeting venue
- Profitability – At some point the international association is going to take a serious look at how profitable the event would be at a given location. This process and evaluation would take place after a review of proposals.
- Association promotion – The association's main interest is whether the chosen location would add credibility and prestige to the association and build membership.
Clearly any CVB or convention center pursuing events in this market would have to research and drill down in order to eliminate the improbable and focus on the possible. We believe UIA can provide this information. Their research findings and data base is available for a fee (about $1,500). You can also have research available on a continuous basis for a subscriber fee.
Determining the Economic Value of an International Event
- Direct Spending
Determining economic value is becoming more reliable over the past few years. For cities such as Las Vegas this data is fundamental – so much of the economy depends on it. Also the due diligence required to finance the substantial physical infrastructure projects (airports improvements, public assembly venues, streets and transportation, general civic improvements) demands it. Most cities have an established direct spending figure for trade shows and convention visitors. The figure is derived from surveys and interviews of out-of-town visitors. No city conducts this research in as timely and comprehensive fashion as Las Vegas.For this brief analysis the percentage difference between a foreign and domestic visitor as reported in Las Vegas will be applied. In Las Vegas the percent difference in direct spending is as follows:
The cause for higher International visitor spending is that they stay longer (about 1 day longer, 4.3 vs. 3.3 days) and they spend more. For example, an international visitor spends more than 100% on food and beverages, 250% more shopping and about 50% on entertainment (live shows). One outlier on visitor spending in Las Vegas which doesn't exist in most US cities is gambling.
The suggestion here is that this or a similar percentage increase be applied when evaluating the value of international events. That is of course unless your city has conducted its own research. Las Vegas is in all cases a good reference check for spending differences and for research methods. Most cities will go on to parse and apply other economic benefits such as indirect spending, tax revenues, or service job creation to arrive at an overall impact number.
- The Prestige Factor
This factor is crucial for cities just developing or improving their tourism economy. International conference, congress and convention goers are business tourists. This adds a gravitas feature to the whole tourism sector. It gives an opportunity for the city and country to show off their airports, urban infrastructure as well as their hospitality sector – hotels, resorts, restaurants, conference and convention facilities, etc. In our research we found this to be often a national cause. Ireland, Cyprus, Malaysia and Korea's national tourism branches of government all provide generous contributions to their cities and venues to use as subventions in order to attract international events. In sum, hosting international events fulfills national policy aims for recognition as a place to for global business. Global engagement is serious business.For US cities the prestige factor is present but not so pronounced. Some cities have been organized well and have succeeded in capturing a good fraction of the international events market – Chicago, Atlanta, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Philadelphia. For others the industrial sector of an international event may represent a vertical market that represents the city's economic base. In this respect international events can contribute to economic development of an emerging knowledge based industry.
If you're Going to Pursue International Conferences, then……..
- Do Proper Research First
- Understand that you're entering a global competition with many more competitors, some with a great deal of experience. Know that your probability of booking success will be very low at first.
- Look for events with recognizable rotation patterns. See when they rotate to the US and learn where in the US they've played before. Be careful of associations that have no pattern but choose locations at random.
- Find what fits – airport/travel scheduling and issues, dates, space, space configurations, sector affinity with your city. The preferred venues are hotels. The cozy, more intimate surroundings are preferable to convention centers. Also, international events tend to be smaller than domestic.
- Do the math. Prepare some simulations. Use actual attendance data from 5 or more international conferences and calculate the economic impact of the event. Make certain that your estimate of international attendees seems reasonable. Highlight the value added for international attendees.
- Don't expect large crowds. Yes, there are some with recorded attendance of 10,000 up to 18,000. These events are not the norm however. They are mostly well under 5,000 attendees.
- If Your Intention Is to Pursue International Events at Full Bore, You Will Have to Add to Staff and Increase Certain Expenses
- Staff will most likely include a sales manager and assistant, a research manager and an office administrator. You could possibly contract out the research function.
- Expenses besides salary will have to include separate T&E, higher than for domestic bookings, print and graphic services, and a promotional fund to fulfill subventions. About two years ago Washington DC organized to pursue international events. They staffed up in the fashion described above and went to work. In four years the economic impact from international events went from $2.5M in 2011 to $25.5M in 2015.
- If this seems too much or even unnecessary, perhaps a better strategy is to be selective and pursue only the most profitable and economically favorable international events
- Be Prepared for a Heavy Work Load
- Canvassing and pursuing eligibility for RFPs is time consuming and can be expensive. Click on the link to view an RFP for an international event – The World Federation of the Deaf. https://www.wfdeaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/WFDConf_2017.pdf
- Preparing your proposal and negotiating until closing is also time consuming and expensive. As an example, click on the link for Barcelona's proposal for The Conference of The International Biometric Society – http://www.biometricsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ibs-2018-bid.pdf . This conference only has about 1,200 attendees.
- Organizing, maintaining and nurturing the Ambassador group, which appears to be a prerequisite for competing, takes a great deal of relationship building and persuasion. Your sales and marketing team will ultimately end up managing the group and acting as their administrative arm. Your team will at times perform most of the functions that a domestic trade show or convention management company would.
- Be Thoughtful about How You Will Deal with Subventions
- You won't be subsidized by the federal government but in order to get a start in the market you may have to agree to subventions you would normally avoid. For small events the subventions are hard to justify. If your occupancy is high and the domestic event market filled with opportunities, then there is no compelling need to agree to expensive subventions. It would be best todisclosethis before entering a competitive bid. Rather, emphasize subventions which can be classifiedasvalue added and steer away from a straight cash subsidy.
- An interesting study of subventions was done by a consulting group in the UK in 2011. The report shows how subventions are material to location decisions and how they affect the competition for international events. You should click on the link below, download and read the report:
- http://www.businessvisitsandeventspartnership.com/news/bvep-press-releases/112-bvep-launch-report-into-global-subvention-practices
- The chart below is from the report and is a summary (although dated) of city practices regarding subventions. It's a good quick reference.
Providing Air Conditioning and Heat on Exhibit Floors during Event Move In
This is a troublesome issue and always has been. Most recently the subject found itself on the agenda for an annual SISO meeting. My first impression was that SISO would take a policy stand, making it a critical customer service issue and pressing that air conditioning during move in should be provided at no charge. After a brief discussion with SISO leadership I learned that there is no formal SISO policy announcement and that there was true recognition and appreciation for a convention center's high utility and operating costs.
Convention center designers have never really addressed this problem seriously or more likely, measures to make the event move in environment more tolerable were value engineered out of the project. The problem is generally widespread throughout the country from humidity prone, to bitter cold, to desert heat regions alike.
Why Is this Issue? It Seems Small Compared to All that Matters
- Excessive Heat and Humidity or Cold During Move In Is a Serious Customer Service Problem
Exhibitors face many challenges during event move in; anticipating freight arrival, exhibit construction, testing equipment, final rehearsals, etc. Adding the annoyance of excessively hot or cold and uncomfortable conditions is poor customer service.
- Providing Air Conditioning During Move In Is Very Expensive During the Summer
Commercial electrical rate schedules are higher for summer months. In New York City for example peak months are June through September. Along with peak months there are peak hours. Utilities call this time of day rates covering daytime periods generally 8AM to 4 or 6PM, Monday through Friday (weekday holidays normally excluded). These rates .for electrical consumption (KWH) can be 30% -50% higher than non-peak hours.Electrical demand rates are also applied in the same manner as consumption. Depending on where you're located, commercial demand rates can be 60% to more than 100% higher than demand rates during non-peak months.
- (Atlanta) Georgia Power – Large Commercial Rates – Summer TOD
Assume air conditioning requires 4,000 Tons of refrigeration for 500,000 gross square feet of exhibition space on a weekday in July
Consumption (KWH): 4,000 Tons x 1.5 KW/Ton = 6,000 KW
6,000 KW x 10 hours = 60,000 KWH
60,000 KWH x $.07264/KWH = $4,358/Day
Demand (KW): 6,000 KW x $10.43/KW = $62,580*
Total Cost per Day: $4,358 + $62,580 = $66,938
*Demand charges only apply if the day's demand (in a 15 or 30 minute interval) is
the highest for the monthly billing period. Fuel adjustment charges not in
- (New York City) NYPA and ConEd – NYPA for consumption or KWH purchased through the open market (NY is a de-regulated state). Con ED for distribution charges (demand)
Assume air conditioning requires 4,000 Tons of refrigeration for 500,000 gross square feet of exhibition space on a weekday in July
Consumption (KWH): 5,000 Tons x 1.5 KW/Ton = 6,000 KW
6,000 KW x 10 hours = 60,000 KWH
60,000 KWH x $.08/KWH = $4,800/Day
Demand (KW): 6,000 KW x $23.04/KW = $138,240*
Total Cost per Day: $4,800 + $138,240 = $143,040
*Demand charges only apply if the day's demand (in a 15 or 30 minute interval)
is the highest for the monthly billing period. Taxes and fuel adjustment
charges not in calculations
The rates from Atlanta are relatively low. New York City rates are among the highest in the country. If anything, the above proves that air conditioning during move in days is no small matter. For show managers, paying for electrical consumption during move in is reasonable, paying for demand is not. In my time at the Javits Center I have seen monthly demand charges exceed $250,000. That was for a full building show (over 800,000 gross square feet, in August). Convention center should never permit a move in day to become the highest day of the billing period for electric demand when it could be avoided.
- Most Show Managers Can Understand the Economics of Peak Hour Costs for Electrical Consumption But Not So for Electrical Demand
Most annual convention center budgets have forecasted and factored in summer electrical demand charges. Facility managers know that there are not many opportunities for demand reduction measures like shedding loads as demand rises after the event begins. Seizing an opportunity to reduce summer demand charges therefore should not be missed. Imagine being in a situation where the move in day is hot and humid but the overnight forecast calls for a cool dry air mass for the event days. Imagine being in a situation where the move in day is on a Friday in July and the event is scheduled for a three day weekend with Monday as a holiday – no demand charges. The monthly savings can be substantial. From time to time an issue may arise where at the last minute a show manager asks for air conditioning on a move in day well after peak hour pricing has begun. Facility managers do not want to start a central plant (chillers, pumps, air handlers, etc.) during peak hours. Doing so puts you at risk that a move in day will become the maximum billing day for demand that month, the savings opportunity lost. Chiller plants normally draw a lot of demand as they approach the chilled water set point. After they reach that point, demand generally diminishes. In this circumstance you would have to provide less than 100%.
Recommended Best Practices
- Unless there are special circumstances you are advised not to provide air conditioning or heat during move in to event management at no charge. Most centers do charge. Some such as Mandalay Bay and the Mirage Convention Centers in Las Vegas provide air conditioning at no charge for the last event move in day. Some of you to whom I have spoken with say that at their center this matter is purposely left flexible. That may be a useful internal policy but it should be kept confidential, because the opposite is likely to happen, it won't be flexible. Show managers are tough negotiators; they will sense an opportunity and persuade you to absorb the cost. There should be a clear written policy for charging for air conditioning and heat on move in days
- Do not make air conditioning and heat during move in part of the rent. Too often rent is negotiated down in order to maintain and improve market share or to accommodate a large event where the overall economic impact is very high. Also, there are circumstances where temperature and humidity ranges need to be controlled during move in. A commercial produce show is an example. Air conditioning charges during move in should be specified as a separate item in the license agreement,
- Make the charges for air conditioning and heat during move ins fair, enough to cover consumption charges from utilities,
- Always supply some air conditioning, say 15% with exhaust fans and a few supply fans at no charge. Set a floor temperature goal of the low to mid 80's for floor temperatures. For heating, do likewise and supply heat from air handlers adjacent to outside freight doors at no charge.
- Take steps to manage demand on your own:
- If the show manager won't purchase air conditioning for move in days when high heat and humidity are forecast, pre-cool the space several hours before the move in starts and when non-peak rates are in effect. Keep the freight doors closed, close outside air dampers as no fresh air is necessary until the space is occupied. Then just before peak rates apply, reduce most of the air conditioning operations and follow the practices from the bullet above.ASHRAE has written a few white papers on pre-cooling. Below is an excerpt:
Night precooking involves the circulation of cool air within a building during the nighttime hours with the intent of cooling the structure. The cooled structure is then able to serve as a heat sink during the daytime hours, reducing the mechanical cooling required. The naturally occurring thermal storage capacity of the building is thereby utilized to smooth the load curve and for potential energy savings.
My experience is that this works for about 5 or 6 hours. Some level of air conditioning will may have to be left on.
- If show management elects to purchase air conditioning for move in days, then pre-cool as outlined above only earlier. Do not commit to a floor temperature in the low to mid 70's, the high 70's and low 80's are more achievable. On hot humid days this will also prevent ceiling drips from pipe and ductwork condensation. Pre-cooling should wash the humidity out of the building and provide positive pressure throughout. This should work to control electric demand. This should be done along with the items below regarding doors.
- Exercise strict control over the freight doors. Close those that are not being well used. You should find most general decorating companies cooperative.
- Consider transparent weather strips at the most used doors. They are an inexpensive fix but usually need to be changed frequently to maintain good visibility.
- If the show manager won't purchase air conditioning for move in days when high heat and humidity are forecast, pre-cool the space several hours before the move in starts and when non-peak rates are in effect. Keep the freight doors closed, close outside air dampers as no fresh air is necessary until the space is occupied. Then just before peak rates apply, reduce most of the air conditioning operations and follow the practices from the bullet above.ASHRAE has written a few white papers on pre-cooling. Below is an excerpt:
- Investments that Work
- The Washington DC Convention Center normally does not charge for air conditioning during move in days. To control costs they have converted their freight doors into "speed doors"
- Washington has also connected one or two of their large chillers to an on-site generator. They can elect to air condition exhibit floors using their own power, avoiding peak hour consumption and demand costs.
- Some may say that air curtains work but my experience has been that the large ones for freight doors are too drafty and noisy
- Years ago designers at Cobo Hall designed a transition space between the loading dock doors and the exhibit floor. The barrier of a demising wall and inline freight doors helps temperature control on the exhibit floor.
- In the 1990's McCormick Place made a major investment in chilled water storage, producing chilled water at night and circulating it for a full days use. They also supply chilled water to other customers beyond the convention center. McCormick also uses Lake Michigan water for condenser water, no cooling towers.
9/11 at the Javits Center
Last week marked 15 years. We know now that the attack wasn't just a one-time thing and now all convention centers have legitimate concerns about terrorism during an event. The Javits Center was a few miles from the attack but we had a view of the planes hitting and the WTC towers falling. The Javits Center did play a role in the aftermath, providing logistical support to the rescue, recovery and security teams. I believe we were able to use our assets effectively and in a small way contribute to the recovery effort.
The account below was written by me 6 years ago.
M. McGrane
Over the years many have asked if we could write an account of what happened to us that day. Our experience was insignificant compared to the events of that day, but perhaps there's some lessons learned here if not an interesting story.
We had four events in the house that day; a large merchandise show on the lower level to open at 9AM, a store fixture and display show on the main level to open at 9:30AM, a commercial flower show also on the main level for the second move in day, and set up for a product roll out for an office technology company on the upper level. After the first plane hit at 8:45 AM the AGM called and told me he had a bad feeling about it, no one flies into the side of the World Trade Center on a bright clear day. Neither the local news nor CNN which was being broadcast on all public monitors had any news on the real cause. The AGM called again and insisted that I go up to the Crystal Palace and view what was occurring downtown and in the center itself. I was at the base of the escalator to the Crystal Palace at 9:03 AM. The view from the Javits Center had the two Trade Center towers overlapping so, if you weren't familiar, it may appear as one large building. The second plane hit. The horizontal plume of flame and smoke made it look as if this was a secondary explosion from the first plane. CNN quickly corrected that. Both towers were aflame.
A quick meeting with all the show managers was assembled and we informed them that we were shutting down the loading docks and that there would be controlled access through the front entrances – attendees would have to go through designated doors under the view of Javits Security and State Police. There would be random checks of handbags and brief cases. We set a meeting time for 30 minutes later or sooner if we obtained any information. There were few questions and no one complained. Although unsaid, I believe everyone in the meeting had the sense that something menacing and ominous was going on downtown. It was about 9:20 AM.
Internal staff met for a time to organize radio procedures and to review evacuation plans. There was still no official word from the State Police about what was happening. All news came from CNN. We had arranged the show floor plans and compared them to the evacuation routes just before we made our way to the next information meeting with the show managers when CNN reported that the Pentagon had been hit. It was about 9:45 AM.
The big decisions were easy now and the meeting was brief. We would evacuate the center immediately; exhibitors, attendees and contractors were to follow the directions of Javits Security and the State Police since due to the loading dock closure some of the routes had changed. We would meet with show managers again as soon as practical. Everyone nodded in consent and the meeting ended. At 10:05 AM the South Tower collapsed and we saw everything disappear in an enormous cloud of dust. By 10:15 AM the Javits Center was evacuated. We estimate there were between 5,000 to 6,000 people. Then, at 10:28 AM the North Tower collapsed.
In the following hour tidbits of news and rumors came and went. We had a short lived moment of panic when news came down that the bridges and tunnels were likely targets too. The south tube of the Lincoln Tunnel was 25 feet below Hall 1A. The State Police quickly communicated with Port Authority Police and we learned that the Tunnel was evacuated and inspected. We were safe. Staff was dismissed and key people were selected to remain. Many volunteered to stay. At 11:02, the mayor ordered the evacuation of Lower Manhattan. What was happening was unbelievable.
At about noon, city emergency service personnel arrived and asked for help. They were covered in dust and soot. The only clean part of their faces was inside the outline of the face masks that they had been wearing. They needed to set up a triage center and a field hospital as soon as possible. While we explored the internet for plans, building maintenance staff quickly began to set up portable utilities, lighting and furnishings in the North Pavilion. Within the hour a medical team arrived. They left shortly afterward and headed off downtown. The casualties and injured would be handled closer to the WTC site. At about 1 PM one of our managers called me up to the South roof. The scene was like a war movie. A stream of people as far South as I could see were walking North on 12th Ave. From the heights they appeared as a ribbon of refugees fleeing a city under siege. The cloud of smoke from the World Trade Center was behind them.
The remainder of the day saw emergency crews arrive at Javits. At one point in order to create more space, the remaining managers and maintenance personnel took forklifts and hand trucks to move out the partially installed exhibit booths from the commercial flower show on the main level. Emergency crews came from New Jersey, that evening teams of "smoke jumpers" arrived from out West, teams of rescue dogs and their handlers arrived from all across the country and Canada, a large contingent of New York State Troopers arrived and finally the New York State National Guard. Our team set out utilities; electric, phone lines, internet lines, portable showers, etc., etc. Centerplate's GM was busy too. That evening he prepared over 300 chicken and rice dinners. He had sent all his employees home and did this all by himself.
The next few days were like a blur. Rescue teams came and went. Javits became the storehouse for supplies, lots of bottled water and pet supplies for the dogs. We were announced as the rallying point for volunteers and they came by the thousands; tradesmen carrying tools, doctors carrying their medical kits, even a few crazies. The only volunteers needed that I recall were operating room nurses and welders trained for work in confined spaces. The President arrived one day to meet with the families of the dead and missing. A planned 1 hour visit became a 5 hour visit.
We learned that nothing can replace a well trained team of managers and skilled workers. We learned how invaluable it is to have permanently stationed police on site. It gives your actions in an emergency a strong sense of legitimacy. Convention center designers should remember that. We learned that convention centers because of their scale, large spaces, utility capacity and access are logical places to use when there's a general emergency. I know it sounds trite because it's so often said, but we learned that people really do rise to the occasion when necessary and with a spirit I hadn't seen before. We learned that trouble creates its own capacity to handle it.
God Bless America.


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Collection No 1
New developments in connectivity and monitoring are shifting an industry traditionally defined by incremental change.
The world of healthcare has traditionally been characterized by incremental innovations and a deep-rooted aversion to risk. But the healthcare realm is undergoing a quiet revolution, spurred by new developments in Big Data collection, by the growing presence of wearable sensors and related bodymonitoring equipment, and by increased connectivity between the people formerly known as patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, often thanks to the widespread adoption of mobile technologies.
In addition, design is increasingly playing a key role in making complex systems such as healthcare easier to understand and access. As designers continue to create medical devices for homes and hospitals, medical packaging, websites for people affected by chronic diseases or health-conscious consumers, apps that measure fitness, and other health-related products and services, they are also strategically helping to make the larger scale experience of healthcare more engaging and effective. Living in the connected world of today, designers are able to apply a broad understanding across the disciplines of user experience, technology, and business strategy to help write the next chapter of healthcare's history in the most compelling way possible.
Beyond designers, other unexpected players are starting to join the healthcare ecosystem. The telco world, for example, is warming up to the idea of connected care, and wise executives are considering the role that they can have in that space. Mobile phones – and especially tablets – have already shown huge potential in becoming powerful and ubiquitous bridges between healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients. TeleCare and TeleHealth service platforms are also emerging from a long period of trials and pilots, and will be hugely valuable assets in the aging societies of developing countries. The data flow from all these connected devices and services is surely going to be of value to many companies, but the real opportunity lies in putting to good use the huge health data-sets they will generate, and in becoming trusted partners that will manage people's aggregated information. Telcos – amongst others – have the option to position themselves as trusted health data banks and brokers, and the possibilities are just starting to come into focus.
At frog, we have been researching these possibilities and working with a variety of companies on the future of healthcare, covering the whole spectrum of health, from fitness to wellness, to recovery, to acute and chronic care. We have observed numerous technological successes and failures and cultural and economic waves that are likely to affect the business, and the personal experience, of healthcare. Based on our work and research, here are a few areas to watch.
Everything That Can Be Connected Will Be, Including Health and Care
Today's most disruptive changes are being driven by connecting people, things, and industries to other people, things, and industries; the same is happening to the domain formerly known as healthcare. There are new ways of looking at this space, ways of looking that take us away from the older directions of "e-health" or "m-health," and toward more of an emphasis on "care." This is why we prefer to refer to this area of opportunity as "Connected Care," inherently putting people at its center, and not healthcare delivery systems. As we see more lifestyle contexts for health, we are also starting to become more aware of how different areas of our lives are connected, increasing the perception that health is not a facet of our life that requires attention once things go bad, but an ongoing process we have to feel engaged with all along our path in the world.
Healthcare was once a domain of hardcore healthcare-focused players. Today, there are numerous non-traditional health service providers – Nike, FitBit, Microsoft, Qualcomm – moving quickly into this space. And with health-related services like Asthmapolis or The Eatery sitting on an iPhone or Android screen beside Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook applications, the boundaries between lifestyle and life-care are blurring, perhaps even fading away.
A Necessary Shift From Curing to Prevention
If we consider that the focus of healthcare will be more on care than outmoded concepts of institutional or formalized treatment, then businesses and patients alike will focus more on preventing diseases than on curing them. Currently, we are caught up in the unsustainable high costs of managing acute and chronic care. Annual healthcare spending in the United States alone is expected to reach $4.6 trillion in 2020, which represents about one-fifth of the entire U.S. economy, according to a report from Medicare's Office of the Actuary. That is up from $2.7 trillion in 2011. The model is broken and has to be improved.
Today the huge machine of healthcare gets in motion only after one of its professional members has diagnosed a temporary or chronic condition. In most cases and countries the quality of a healthcare system is only measured when treating a disease, and only then the economic incentives of reimbursement come into play to propel the system forward. The key to make healthcare sustainable in the future will be to understand what incentives will be needed to tip the entire system towards prevention.
What happens when DNA testing or biome-based medical approaches become mainstream? How do we cope with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension spreading among children at rates unlike any other in history? Can telecare services like Sonamba really help us deal with rapidly aging societies and unprecedented numbers of the elderly? These are new trends that are likely to affect how we approach the costs of maintaining healthy lives and communities. Monitoring, via connected care systems, can help with prevention. People who use these services can keep track of their cholesterol or sugar consumption, their weight gain or loss, whether they are taking their medication and how and when it causes side effects— and share this data with other people like them and caregiving communities. Imagine, too, the aggregated data and the patterns it can illustrate and how these patterns can help in epidemic research and analysis. Ultimately, such monitoring will contribute to the quest to keep healthcare costs down.
A Journey From Prescription to Choice
The key to successful prevention will mean a focus on a more engaging and attractive vision for care, and one of the current "fashionable" expressions in the industry points to the "the consumerization of healthcare" as a prediction for the future of healthcare in this sense, but I find this point view overly simplistic. I much prefer the expression "moving from prescription to choice," which suggests that better healthcare means understanding the needs, desires, and drivers of a new class of information-empowered patients, rather than simply relabeling them as "consumers," which is just one of the many facets of the human condition.
Today people are participating in healthcare-focused social networks, and they are actively contributing to patient communities like Patients Like Me, or they are learning about conditions and symptoms via WebMD, often using many of the same information resources that physicians have access to. The true way that businesses will harness a consumerstyle approach to healthcare, which admittedly can be a powerful idea, will be through addressing patients who are empowered by new sources of knowledge made available to anyone. Enlightened healthcare service providers will provide options to account for people's preferences about managing their own health, and know that healthcare professionals have to come to see themselves as true life partners in the choice of a preferred path to prevention and care.
Healthcare and The Experience Economy
If "choice" is one the keywords for the future of healthcare delivery then the quality of the experience provided by healthcare services will soon rise as a key differentiator for market success. The healthcare industry has started to warm up to this idea, inspired by the world of consumer products, and has riffed on the design expression "user-centric" to talk about "patient-centric" solutions. While this shift is a very positive first step in the right direction, the hope is that we'll quickly move away also from this jargon, as people are simply not their diseases in the same way they are not just consumers.
In the next chapter of the industry formerly known as healthcare, people will start to see the care of their health as a lifelong narrative. Science is now telling us how our life stories might begin as early as in the womb, when we are affected by what our mothers eat when they are pregnant, and effective storytelling is likely to become a key ingredient in any effective healthcare solution. These stories will be about people's lives, not about the diseases that happen to affect them. Although there will be more data available about people's health experiences, they will learn and demand to be understood and spoken with as a human beings and individuals, and not be considered a statistic.
The ultimate goal will be to think of health from a human-centric point of view, and apply the idea that care can be engaging and even fun at times, just as using a computer or a phone – tools that were thought of as mostly utilitarian rather than a source of delight a generation ago – can now be considered an integral part of the flow of our daily personal and social activities.
These considerations have given rise to another highly hyped set of terms and underlying theories, such as "behavior change" – using socially shared data-driven feedback loops to tip people into adopting healthier behaviors – and "gamification", digitally turning any human activity into a game of sorts, using game dynamics and social incentives as motivators.
While in many cases these theories and their resulting solutions have yet to prove their long-term effectiveness and already risk sounding like yesterday's tired buzzwords, it is undeniable that adding a sense of participation – and where possible and sensible also an element of fun – can increase patients' engagement. This can help them enlarge, and stay connected to, their social and medical circles of care.
From Big (Health) Data to Big Knowledge
The direct result of the digitization of medical data, coupled with the bottom-up generation of even more data coming from connected health devices and services squarely sits in the business opportunity area usually labeled as "Big Data."
In the healthcare space, the availability of large data sets promises to enable researchers, doctors, and specialists to make decisions based on better evidence with the support of predictive models of the evolution of a disease. The rise of Computational Medicine, such as the eponymous group at John Hopkins, promises to one day provide healthcare professionals with algorithms that can support them in better decision-making, while improving the confidence of patients as well. The ultimate promise of these data-intensive scenarios is to lead to truly Personalized Medicine, where personal health data-sets – whether it be DNA or blood glucose levels – will be interrelated with similar data aggregated at a large scale, and analyzed to identify or develop molecules and treatments precisely tailored to the needs of an individual.
This whole opportunity area is at the moment complicated by the high sensitivity of health data and records, by the fragmented regulatory scenarios governing its use and the ethics of patient privacy. Another hurdle is simply the lack of encoding standards to ease aggregation and processing.
Big Data schemas promise to provide substantial financial upsides to companies interested in seeing their involvement in this area as a strategic long-term investment. But when putting people at the center of a healthcare system, Big Data is ultimately irrelevant; what's important is Big Knowledge. This brings up the question of how to package up one's personal or aggregated data into meaningful information and insights, so that they can generate knowledge people can use to improve their understanding of what they do. Alternatively such insights could help someone actually change their current habits to improve their odds if diagnosed with a genetic predisposition to develop a chronic disease.
This is also where a lot of "behavior change" scenarios can fall short of truly delivering long-term value if they assume that exposing people to data and adding a socially augmented feedback loop is enough. Assuming that people will change their habits simply by showing them data – even well-designed data – is akin to assuming they'll become poets by showing them a grammar book. It is only generating insights from data, and linking those insights to people's daily lives and habits that will give them what they'll need to start exploring a path to improving their health conditions.
e-Diagnosing: The (Connected) Doctor Is In
The same changes affecting the people/patient end of the healthcare spectrum are just as rapidly impacting its professional end, and an innovative generation of medical professionals is busy amplifying the weak signals pointing to what medicine will look like in the near and far future.
The "doctor's visit" is unlikely going away, and it is a ritual that still holds the potential to deliver the most value for patients if based on a trusted relationship. But it also promises to be augmented and influenced by the availability of supporting technologies in the future. The shift from computers to tablets is already creating opportunities to move from conversations that have a "display" separating professionals from patients—where information presented at a visit to the doctor's office or hospital is visible only to professionals – to conversations facilitated and sustained by information shown on displays that can be interacted with by both parties.
It is also very likely that some, and in some cases most of our interactions with physicians will be mediated by digital technologies, with services like Sherpaa pointing the way: access to trusted healthcare professionals will be a video-call away, and available 24/7.
The same data that people will be generating and reviewing to self-manage their health and mitigate possible chronic disease scenarios will be of huge value to healthcare professionals, and will become the basis for fact-based consultations and a more efficient use of a professional's time.
Physicians and specialists will also be able leverage the current explosion of apps and accessories for mobile phones and tablets that turn them into professional-grade diagnostic tools, which open the way for new, nimble ways that healthcare professionals will be able to diagnose and treat their patients both in person and remotely. Connected "consumer" weight-scales and blood-pressure monitors and glucose meters like those offered by Withings and VitaDock, as well as FDA-approved smart phone accessories like AliveCor's ECG monitor are all examples of a growing class of products that has the potential to replace stand-alone dedicated medical devices.
With the rise of digitally channeled medical services, there clearly will be new types of workflows for physicians, specialists, nurses and professional caregivers to embrace, and this shift might not be an easy one to accept at first.
Shared access to equal sources of information and the availability of more personalized care models offers opportunities to move away from an outdated and slightly paternalistic model of care, and create the foundations for new levels of trust to emerge as a result, with more time dedicated to meaningful conversations with patients and less to guesswork and trying to understand what the problem really is from incomplete recollections of events and lack of effective evidence models.
Connected Care, Learning and Finance: A Virtuous Circle For Developing Economies
While many of the examples above appear related to the socio-economic context of developed economies, the wind of change for the healthcare sector is blowing strong in developing countries as well.
The impact on care that connected (and especially mobile) technologies are having in developing economies around the world is proportionally more impactful and more effective. This is true even when solutions appear from the outside to play on the lower end of the technology innovation spectrum.
SMS-based services or simple applications running on feature phones have enabled healthcare services to reach parts of the population for whom a doctor's visit still equates to a day-long trip, not to mention a day lost in terms of putting food on the table.
Whether it's helping mothers take better care of their children via initiatives like Mama or improving the prevention of the transmission of HIV from mothers to their children – as frog has been doing with Unicef and other partners – these services only represent the tip of a promising iceberg, and show the way for more advanced applications as the price of more capable mobile devices follows well-known economies of scale.
Mobile technologies have also helped give rise to a new class of healthcare professionals – Community Health Workers – that put to good use mobile phones and simple eDiagnosing tools to provide basic care services where traditional healthcare services often struggle to offer constant presence.
The rise of connected care in developing economies is often sided by the emergence of effective solutions in the areas of Mobile Learning and Mobile Money, and together these innovations promise to create a virtuous loop resulting in better quality of life and hopefully economic and societal growth over time.
Innovating in Fragmented and Highly Regulated Ecosystems
In conclusion, we must of course remember that there are no opportunities without challenges, and this is especially true in complex interconnected value ecosystems such as healthcare.
Many of the scenarios depicted above will require serious changes not just to the cultural and mental models of people and professionals, but also in terms of what has to be enabled from a legal perspective. The fragmentation of the healthcare regulatory landscape associated with the different local, regional, and global business strategies of key players in this space make for a particularly difficult environment to invest and innovate in, not forgetting that this is a field that has not lost its averseness to taking risks or exposing an organization to unexpected new liabilities.
What is evident though is that the healthcare landscape is shifting and morphing faster than it did in the last few decades, and there's not much that companies interested in becoming or remaining leaders in this field can do other than breathing deeply and embracing the inherent complexity of this fascinating sector badly in need of innovation. Creating the future often means having to push against the status quo, and healthcare is in no way different.
There is so much that has to be done, and what better motivation could there be than that of improving people's lives when they are confronting the most fragile facets of the human condition?
Fabio Sergio
Fabio is the global lead of frog's Social Impact practice, bringing human-centered innovation to collaborations with organizations such as UNICEF and the World Economic Forum.

subset: commoncrawl


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Most bath salts contain some form of sodium, glycerin and a fragrance. The latest trend in drug use is not your typical bath salt. There is a new recreational drug being used by teens and college-aged students across the nation and all social circles. The white powdery substance is being sold legally by labeling it as bath salts.
While it is not actually a bath salt but instead, is intended to be used as a hallucinogenic drug known as Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), MDPK, Mtv, Magic, Peeve or Super Coke (as it is similar to cocaine). This substance is purposely falsely labeled bath salts, plant food or insect repellents under the names Cloud 9, Ivory Wave, Hurricane Charlie, Red Dove, Ocean, Charge Plus, White Lightning, White Dove and Scarface so it can be sold legally.
When inhaled, smoked, swallowed, injected or snorted; the drug acts much like cocaine giving its users hallucinations, raising blood pressure, increasing in heart rates and even bringing on thoughts of suicide, sometimes with the attempt or successful attempt to follow. Health experts at many poison control centers are reporting that they have already seem more cases thus far in 2011 than they saw in all of 2010.
Drug use on school campuses is perhaps one of the reasons some families choose to keep their children home to educate them and avoid the unnecessary pressure from peers. Unfortunately, these trendy drugs can find their way into even the most well-meaning parent's home. Fortunately, as a concerned and active parent, you have the opportunity to prevent your children from choosing these mood-altering substances. But, they make the ultimate decision as to whether or not they will heed your advice.
When you are concerned that your child "might" just once try it, you need to take every precaution you can including installing a Cleared2Drive system on your child's vehicle so at least you are assured that they won't be driving while under the influence of this or any other drug.


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Solo's cuffed before being lowered in, but the cuffs are removed I believe, by either the Ugnaughts or Stormtroopers, but I'm pretty sure someone uncuffs him.What he still has on are his bicep restraints. The one and only theory I've heard about how/why those miraculously disappear, is that they "dissolve" in Carbon Freezing, and are just to keep his arms from moving too much. Take that with a grain of salt, it was someone's theory, and it worked well enough to me as to why the bicep restraints disappeared.I believe though, he is uncuffed prior to being lowered in.
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Get your own Symmetrical Pottery DSB™
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Base will be green and interior blue.
If your a wet shaving enthusiast we've created the ultimate accessory for you.
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You can reach Emirates Team New Zealand by calling VHF.
Emirates Team New Zealand is based in Wynyard Quarter, north of Auckland's city center and just steps away from Westhaven Marina, the largest marina in the southern hemisphere. The team represents Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and won the America's Cup – the world's oldest sporting trophy �
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Emirates Team New Zealand is located in Auckland.
Auckland is located in the upper North Island in New Zeeland and it is the most densely populated urban area in the country hosting more than 1,2 million people. This means that a third of the country's population lives in this region. Auckland's coasts are bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Numerous touristic and economic activities contribute to the region's continuous development. For tourists, Auckland is a great holiday destination which offers terrific views and exciting activities.
Auckland has a long and fascinating history originating in the 14th century when the Mauri population came to inhabit this territory for its fertility and natural resources. Later in the 18th century, this rich land also lured Europeans explorers who began to settle here. During the 19th century, a fast-paced modernization and Europeanization process took place and Auckland's trade and the industry flourished.
The local subtropical climate with its warm, sunny summers and milled temperatures in the cold season also accounts for this area's large population and the increasingly high number of tourists who can easily arrive here by plane. Once they get here, berth booking is the best option to enjoy the splendid sight of the sea.
This lively city is full of opportunities both for visitors and entrepreneurs. It is one of the most affordable large urban areas in the world and it offers a wide variety of destinations that are worth seeing. Auckland is a sophisticated location for young people who want to enjoy nightlife to the full; there are plenty bars, discos and clubs that welcome tourists. For those who love shopping, the local boutiques are a chance to buy a truly unique gift. For those who are fond of arts and culture, some fascinating places that attract thousands of tourists are the Wallace Art Centre, Auckland Museum and the Auckland Art Gallery owning a vast range of modern and classic collections.
A top touristic attraction near Auckland is the One Tree Hill; a volcanic peak located at a height of 182 meters which offers a 360 °view. The hill hosts a memorial monument as a reminder of the Maori population that first inhabited this land.
For those who prefer city tours, there are plenty of architectonic wonders in Auckland city and one of the most astonishing buildings is the Sky Tower whose 328-meter height turned it into a popular objective and a symbol of the urban area.
Another popular attraction is the 'City of Sails' which provides the chance to practice various water sports and enjoy the sea. There are plenty surf beaches in Auckland: Piha, Te Arai or the beaches in Maori Baya and East Coast. For a comfortable and pleasurable sightseeing experience, berth booking is the best option and with MarinaReservation.com it's easy to find a suitable berth for your boat.
The accommodation range is complex and satisfies all tastes and pockets. As for the cuisine, the local diners provide an exquisite blend of traditional Maori touch, Asian influences and European dishes.
Both the city and the sea offer vast possibilities to spend a memorable vacation in a modern and fascinating location.
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6 Ways the Media Is Using Digital Tools to Cover the Election
Politicians have been deploying digital tools in new and innovative ways this election season, and the media outlets and journalists covering them have been doing the same. Throughout the 2012 battle for the White House, media outlets have been designing web apps dedicated to political coverage, while individual journalists have been tweeting and uploading photos nonstop.
These digital media innovations are giving readers unprecedented access to the election. Many of these online features are interactive, contributing to a two-way conversation between journalists and readers and changing the political journalism ballgame.
Follow along as Mashable highlights some of the ways the media and individual journalists are covering this election digitally.
1. Social Debates
Many of the networks that have hosted presidential debates have been using social media to allow viewers to ask questions directly to candidates. This idea isn't new in 2012, but it has become more mainstream.
NBC and Facebook teamed up to co-host a Republican debate during which viewers asked questions via Facebook and discussed the debate amongst themselves. Fox News used Twitter to instantly gauge each candidate's performance during a debate in South Carolina.
Social debates allow American citizens better access to candidates. They turn debate audiences from viewers into participants, increasing their sense of "ownership" in an election. By giving viewers a voice in a debate, network hosts are keeping their audiences tuned-in and engaged.
2. Election Centers
Many major news sites, including CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel, are featuring 2012 election portals, which include all the organization's political coverage.
Online election centers are designed to be a one-stop shop for all things politics in 2012. Visitors to these portals can learn about the candidates and their stances on the issues that matter, access links to candidates' social media profiles or find out more about their financial backers.
If you want to know more about candidates or their stances on a particular issue, an online election center is the place to go.
3. Calendars and Interactive Maps
Calendars and maps are handy digital ways to show when and where a given candidate will be appearing on a certain day. With the ever-changing nature of campaign schedules, putting these calendars and maps online allows quick and easy updating to maintain accuracy.
At CNN, an interactive map and calendar show visitors when and where upcoming primaries and caucuses are to be held. Likewise, NBC has teamed up with Foursquare to map the 2012 campaign trail. Visitors can easily see where candidates (and NBC journalists) are appearing.
Politico takes the mapping concept a step further. Its map shows you not only where a candidate is (and where he's been) but also why he's doing a particular event.
For example, Ron Paul won't be in Florida the night of the Republican primary, and the Politico tool helps explain why (Paul is focusing on later contests). That editorial insight adds usefulness to an already visually appealing tool.
4. Delegate Trackers
CNN, NBC and Politico all offer a "delegate tracker," which shows how many delegates each candidate has won thus far (winning delegates is the key to winning the Republican nomination for president).
CNN's delegate tracker adds some fun by allowing armchair campaign managers to guess the outcomes of upcoming contests. Users can then figure out how candidates must perform in order to keep moving forward in the nomination process. That interactivity keeps readers engaged with the story of the 2012 election season.
5. Print Goes Digital
Many publications with roots in the print world have been experimenting with digital methods to cover the presidential contest.
Over at The Washington Post's politics page, visitors can find an interactive "campaign finance explorer," which helps educate people on the candidates' sources of income. The New York Times launched a unique mobile app, which aggregates all of its 2012 election-themed content. And finally, Mother Jones is just one of the media outlets which have been experimenting with Storify to neatly collect tweets and photos of campaign events.
6. Twitter
Twitter is the social tool of choice for many political journalists. Major media outlets usually publish lists of their journalists who are active on Twitter, making it easy to follow them.
Political journalists on Twitter can provide a window into the electoral process that wasn't possible before the days of social media. Journalists can now bring each town hall, rally, primary and caucus to the screens of Americans across the country, opening up formerly local conversations to the rest of the nation.
Rick Perry will drop out of the Republican presidential race today, two sources tell CNN.
Peter Hamby (@PeterHambyCNN) January 19, 2012
Political journalists, some assigned to one particular candidate, often tweet the most informative and immediate election news. Many often break news over Twitter, their followers becoming first to receive up-to-the-second campaign updates.
Some populist rage on foreclosures Romney-style: "The banks are incapable of making a decision." daveweigel (@daveweigel) January 23, 2012
Political journalists often become experts in the subject matter they cover. That equips them to share insights into the news of the day.
@RalstonFlash not quite. He's spending more time asking probing questions ╤ Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 23, 2012
They also often interact with one another in conversations, which you can watch and learn from when you follow multiple political journalists (Twitter only lets you view @ messages when you follow both users).
"He╒s gone from pillar to post like a pinball machine," Romney says of Gingrich. ╤ Matt Viser (@mviser) January 23, 2012
a Romney robocall that hit yesterday basically just plays the Pelosi/Gingrich climate change ad in its entirety
Peter Hamby (@PeterHambyCNN) January 21, 2012
Breaking news aside, these journalists often tweet minor, but telling scenes from the campaign trail. These "micro stories" include a candidate's offhand remarks during a campaign event, jabs at other candidates or information about candidates' strategies in important battleground states.
These kind of quick reports are well-suited to Twitter's 140-character limit. Occasionally, they'll grow and be turned into a story (or at least included in one). More often, they'll never move out of their first home; therefore, the tweet stream is the only place people will ever find them. That's a major change from years past, when such quips would have been archived in a reporter's notebook (or just in his or her brain), and the public would likely never hear them repeated.
What unique digital tools have you seen media organizations using during the 2012 election season? Let us know in the comments below.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, temis


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Unlike software, hardware projects cannot be entirely defined, or contained within, the computer. That's a shame because there are some really great tools for managing software projects.
Gary Hodgson has prototyped his proposal for using github to manage hardware projects. He called it githubiverse and, appropriately enough, hosted it on github. Here is an example of it functioning to track Mechanical Movement #27. All the files are on github and this custom webpage displays whatever is up to date.
If the name Gary Hodgson sounds familiar, that's because he built a DLP resin printer, which Openalia covered previously. I don't think I'm outing him as a true geek when I point to this…
An interesting advanced use case is the ability to use the same core template across many projects. You could fork the githubiverse-template project and edit the html/css as you wish. Then, in each project's gh-page branch create a submodule referring to this fork. All that's left would be to create a _config.yml file with the details in the root project gh-pages branch and an additional entry defining the source of the jekyll site as being the submodule folder.
…as reminding me of this Dilbert cartoon.