IABC to check out GM's tech future: The International Assocaition of Business Communicators - Detroit will take a look at the second century of General Motors Corp. in a meeting Wednesday, May 14 titled GMnext: Celebrating the Past with an Eye on the Future. The meeting will show how GM is using Web-based tools to engage employees, business partners and consumers in telling its story. The event will run from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in GM University Rooms 9 and 10. (GM University is located in the Renaissance Center in Detroit, between Towers 200 and 300 off the Circulation Ring.) This session is part of a monthly professional development program. The cost to attend the program is $30 for IABC members and $45 for non-members. Payment may be made via PayPal, and you need not have a PayPal account to pay with PayPal. Reservations can be made online at www.iabcdetroit.com or by contacting Nancy Skidmore at nskidmore@earthlink.net or (248) 546-5490.
Farmington Hills firm offers peek at Microsoft ERP: Farmington Hills-based Madre Software invites you to attend an overview presentation on Microsoft Dynamics NAV, a leading ERP system for mid-market manufacturers, distributors and retailers. This interactive demonstration will kick start a co-hosted event Seeing is Believing on May 2 at the Oakland campus of Wayne State University. Seeing is Believing is a collaboration of three Microsoft Certified Partners ready to help you believe what you don't always see. Atrio Systems, Madre Software and ZenaComp have joined together in the event, which runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Open to anyone in the business community, the event will feature the Microsoft Across America Tour and mini-presentations highlighting Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0. A 42-foot “showcase on wheels” will be available for tours and is fully equipped with the latest innovations from Microsoft, HP, Intel and others. To register or learn more about this event, please visit www.madresoftware.com or call (248) 442-4688.
Future of computers to be discussed at symposium: The University of Michigan will hold a symposium May 8 and 9 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of computer science and engineering at UM. Alumni and several current faculty members will reflect on the future of computer science and engineering here and beyond. Among the topics sessions will cover are the future of computer engineering, as computers shrink in size and cell phones and other portable electronics grow in capabilities (Computer Engineering, 1:30 p.m. May 8); cyberinfrastructure and the next generation Internet (Dan Atkins, 3 p.m. May 8); computer science tomorrow, and the importance of attracting more students, including women, to the field (Mark Guzdial, 8:30 a.m. May 9); and the future of human-computer interaction (Interactive and Social Systems, 9:15 a.m. May 9). Speakers include John Shen, head of Nokia Research Center; Mark Guzdial, a professor in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech; James Blinn, a graphics fellow at Microsoft Corp.; Carl Page, co-founder and CTO of Handheld Entertainment; Avi Rubin, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who has worked on security of voting systems; Daniel Siewiorek, director of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University; Mark Abel, a general manager at Intel Software and Solutions Group and Usama Fayyad, executive vice president of research & strategic data solutions at Yahoo. For a full list of speakers and a complete agenda, visit: www.eecs.umich.edu/eecs/etc/cse50/schedule.html. The event will be held at the Computer Science and Engineering Building, 2260 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor. View a map at www.engin.umich.edu/facilities/maps/cse.html. For more on the 50th Anniversary of Computer Science and Engineering, visit www.eecs.umich.edu/eecs/etc/cse50/.
Oakwood offers 'Cinco de Trauma:' Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center is sponsoring an open house May 5 with the whimsical name “Cinco de Trauma” to showcase Oakwood’s trauma services. The event will be held in the Kalman Auditorium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. OHMC nursing managers will demonstrate a new state-of-the-art trauma simulator, Hal 3000, and fire and emergency medical systems staff from several surrounding communities will attend.
Automation Alley to host 'Mind of Microsoft' event: Tim Runcie, president of Portland, Ore.-based Advisicon Inc., will present "Inside the Mind of Microsoft: The Future Starts Today with Collaborative Tools and Technology," on Thursday, May 8 at Automation Alley, 2675 Bellingham in Troy. The event is sponsored by BNW Manufacturing Associates LLC and Advisicon and is free to attend. The presentation will cover interactive collaboration technology tools, using key performance indicators efficiently, using the product life cycle and more. The event runs from 1 to 3 p.m. To RSVP, e-mail michigan@advisicon.com.
Cobo Center to host brownfields event: Detroit hosts the National Brownfields 2008 Conference May 5 - 7 at Detroit's Cobo Center. More than 6,000 environmental and economic development officials, risk managers, planners, engineers and students are expected. Walk-up registration is free at the Cobo Center. Addressing brownfields -- abandoned or underutilized properties stigmatized by past commercial or industrial uses -- is a challenge for communities of every size. By focusing on redevelopment, properties are put back into productive use while helping to keep undeveloped lands in a natural state. Conference highlights include an opening plenary session at 9 a.m. May 5 with Bill Strickland, CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corp., on the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology, an innovative Grand Rapids job training, education and arts center, a keynote May 6 at 11 a.m., "CEOs for Downtowns: Business Leaders Talk About Their Urban Investments," with ex-Detroit Pistons star Dave Bing of the Bing Group, Dan Gilbert of Quicken Loans and Peter Karmanos of Compuware Corp.; and a May 6 forum at 4:15 p.m. the "2008 Town Meeting on the Redevelopment Marketplace," hosted by National Public Radio's Renee Montagne. Brownfields 2008's educational program features more than 170 sessions on green development, remediation and risk management. The annual Phoenix Awards for top projects will be announced. Mobile workshops will highlight local approaches to redevelopment, including visits to Detroit's inner suburbs, the Downriver communities and Southwest Detroit. More than 300 exhibitors will display the latest technologies and services. In an effort to reduce the event's carbon footprint, Brownfields 2008 attendees will be able to purchase NativeEnergy offsets to mitigate the global warming impact of their travel. More at www.brownfields2008.org.
MMIT to showcase regional successes: The Mid Michigan Innovation Team will hold its Spring Showcase, titled "Celebrating Our Successes, Formulating Our Future," on Monday, May 12 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The venue is the Radisson Hotel on the corner of Grand and Michigan avenues in downtown Lansing. This event is designed to further increase awareness about the MMIT, to acknowledge the progress made to date by the partners, and to renew the excitement and commitment to the transformation of Mid Michigan’s economy. As the federal funding for the MMIT is coming to an end, there is increased interest in sustaining the momentum and progress created by this important initiative on a long term basis. The public is invited to attend.
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