Welcome to Las Vegas?Where Human Factors/Ergonomics Never Sleeps

The 2011 Annual Meeting Host Committee welcomes you to Las Vegas, Nevada. Our hotel, the Red Rock, is located about 10 miles from the Strip and sits in the foreground of serene red rock mountain vistas. You will find the meeting venue more compact and centralized than in recent years, which should allow for more networking opportunities, easier navigation between sessions, and an overall improved group experience. The meeting aims to provide a strong technical program and many opportunities for social and professional interaction.

The Host Committee once again reaches out to HFES Fellows as well as our young professionals and first-time attendees through several receptions organized by Host Relations Chair Susan Kotowski. For example, we have organized the first-ever Fellows? reception (Wednesday, September 21, 7:30?9:00 p.m.) and the First-Timers? Reception, which takes place just before the Gala Opening Reception. The Future Leaders and Volunteers reception will enable members to become more involved in HFES. It takes place immediately after the HFES Business Meeting on Tuesday, September 20, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Plenary Session
As usual, the Opening Plenary Session will honor our newly elected Fellows and recipients of HFES Society-wide awards. Following the presidential address by Anthony D. Andre?and in the spirit of being in Las Vegas?our keynote presentation will be a performance by world-famous illusionist Jeff McBride. After his performance, Jeff will discuss the psychology of illusions, moderated by Tony Andre. Don?t miss the plenary session on Tuesday, September 20, at 8:00 a.m.

Mobile Meeting App Coming Soon!
Considering the growing number of attendees who have smartphones, HFES is pleased to announce that for the first time, we will be offering a mobile meeting app for iPhones and iPads, Android phones, and devices that can access the mobile Web. Stay tuned for details!

Technical Sessions
Under the direction of Cheryl A. Bolstad, the Technical Program Committee and the Society?s technical groups have developed an exciting and informative technical program that includes a balance of lectures, panels, symposia, demos, and posters. This year, special invited sessions have been organized through the leadership of many of the technical groups. The HFES Pioneers session, hosted this year by the Cognitive Engineering & Decision Making Technical Group, is titled ?Pioneers in Human-Automation Interaction Research.? Read the article by David Kaber in this issue for details about this session and the reception that follows. All attendees are invited to participate in these CEDM-TG events.

Tours
The Technical Tours Subcommittee, led by Christopher Cabrall, has arranged three top-notch and highly interesting tours. Here are brief summaries?the Registration Brochure and Web site will include more details:

• Hoover Dam and Power Plant ? Nevada-Arizona border. The Hoover Dam is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders. Included is a 1-hour guided tour of the power plant and passageways within the dam and admission to the visitor center?s displays, maps, and photo exhibits.
• Nevada National Security ? northwest of Las Vegas, NV. The Nevada National Security Site spans a 680-square-mile area. The Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies conducted nuclear tests and other atomic experiments at this location. The tour covers about 250 miles of this vast outdoor laboratory. Visitors will see artifacts and archaeological sites from the area?s early settlers as well as relics of nuclear-weapons tests, nuclear-rocket experiments, and a variety of other defense, environmental, and energy-related programs.
• Zappos.com ? Henderson, NV. Since its founding in 1999, Zappos.com has grown to become the largest online shoe store and has solidified its reputation for customer loyalty and service. The tour will include the Zappos Family Culture in action, the story of Zappos.com, the Zappos Customer Loyalty Team, coaching tools, and a presentation by a guest speaker from the User Experience group.

Student Community
Continuing a tradition that began in 2006, the Student Lounge will again provide a venue where students can network and socialize in a relaxed atmosphere. Jennifer Umayam, this year?s Student Lounge Subcommittee chair, is organizing discussions and other events that will take place in the Lounge. Students are welcome to stop by to relax, meet other students, and discuss research activities. Bulletin boards will enable students to post information such as social outings and carpooling arrangements.

Other regular events for students are Student Career and Professional Development Day, on Monday, September 19, from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and the Student Reception on Tuesday, September 20, at 5:00 p.m. In addition, the technical program includes three Student Forum sessions featuring student work.

Staying Connected
Attendees will be able to keep up with news and event updates through the daily newsletter, The High-Roller Herald. The Newsletter Subcommittee, led by Celeste Adamson, will publish articles about interesting activities and people at the meeting. To submit your own news, see the separate article in this issue.

We also encourage you to read late-breaking news and share your experiences at the meeting through Twitter and Facebook. The HFES Social Networking Operations Committee, chaired by Maryam Ashoori, is spearheading this effort. Follow the meeting on Twitter by searching for ?hfes2011,? and feel free to tweet using the hashtag ?#hfes2011.? By following the ?#hfes2011? tag on your mobile Twitter client, you can have a real-time dialogue with other attendees and organizers. A large computer display located next to HFES Central in the registration area will display Twitter updates in real time. A Facebook page called ?HFES 2011? (linked to the Twitter account) will be your ?go-to? Facebook site prior to, during, and after the meeting. There you can post great experiences, questions, photos, and videos about the Annual Meeting.

Exciting New Networking Event
The Student Philanthropy Committee, chaired by Tiffany Poole Wilson, is in the process of developing a scavenger hunt as a way to have fun while raising funds for student activities. The event will be Monday through Wednesday, and teams will identify human factors/ergonomics issues around the Red Rock. An official announcement and rules will be sent to members and registered attendees, so be ready to assemble your team of four. Our goal is to make this a signature event that will offer great memories, networking opportunities, and (for a few good searchers) prizes.

Experience Las Vegas
As our meeting planner, Steve Marlin, says in his article in this issue, Las Vegas is like no other city in the world. The Local Guide Subcommittee, led by Angela Wills, will provide a synopsis of the local flavor, nightlife, and must-see opportunities. If you are a first-timer to Vegas, you?ll want to visit the Strip to take in such sights as a pyramid, a scaled-down version of the Eiffel Tower, the canals of Venice, the New York skyline, a pirate ship, a flaming volcano, and one of the world?s largest fountains.

Our meeting venue, the Red Rock, offers numerous food and entertainment options, as Steve notes in his article. You can also plan day trips to hiking and rock-climbing sites in the mountain vistas near the hotel. The Local Guide Subcommittee will provide a list of additional restaurants.

It?s Time to Start Making Your Plans!
One of the main perks of the Annual Meeting is face-to-face interaction with your HFES friends, colleagues, and peers. This year, the Host Committee has been working hard to increase your opportunities for professional and interpersonal interaction by offering more social events and receptions at this year?s meeting. We hope that our efforts, and those of the Technical Program Committee and TGs, will make the 55th Annual Meeting one of the most memorable you?ve attended.

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