Event Notices From May 14

Saroki, Indian leader to get honorary degrees at Lawrence Tech commencement: Prominent architect Victor Saroki and India political leader Sharad Pawar will receive honorary doctoral degrees when Lawrence Technological University holds its commencement on Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m. at Cobo Arena in Detroit. Saroki, who has two degrees from Lawrence Tech and is a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, will be awarded an honorary doctorate in architecture and deliver the commencement address. Pawar, who has served as India’s minister of agriculture and minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution since 2004, will receive an honorary doctorate in humanities. More at www.ltu.edu.

Plexus to host PowerPlex user conference: Auburn Hills-based Plexus Systems Inc., providers of Plexus Online -- the on-demand software for the manufacturing enterprise -- welcomes media to the company’s annual user conference. PowerPlex 2008 brings together leaders from fast-growth manufacturers that leverage information technology for product quality, regulatory compliance and business optimization. The event runs May 19-21 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel at 235 Louis St. NW in Grand Rapids. The keynote speech will be delivered by Managing Automation magazine editor David Brousell, who wlil preview findings from a just-concluded national survey of North American manufacturing competitiveness. There will also be a tour of GR Spring & Stamping Inc., which has undergone a technology transformation from "shop floor to top floor," along with demonstrations of manufacturing best practices and other technology demonstrations. More at www.plex.com.

Kuka to observe 35th birthday with Technology Open House: Kuka Robotics Corp. will celebrate 35 years in business with a Technology Open House June 5 at its Clinton Township headquarters. Kuka will showcase more than 15 operating robotic demonstration cells for a variety of applications. The event also features several private product introductions to North American customers including its Kuka KR 1000 Titan and DeltaSpot, the next generation of spot welding, being introduced by Kuka partner Fronius USA LLC. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. E-mail kukainfo@kukarobotics.com to register.

Rave to celebrate 20 years: Sterling Heights-based Rave Computer Association Inc. will host a luncheon and ceremony at its headquarters on Wednesday, May 28 to recognize the company's 20th anniversary in business. The ceremony wll include remarks by Rave president and CEO Rick Darter, Sterling Heights mayor Richard J. Notte, and Disabled American Veterans state commander Duane Getzmeyer. Rave will honor the DAV with a $20,000 contribution. The donation will go to support its Van Program in Michigan which helps transport disabled and injured veterans to hospitals and medical centers. More at www.rave.com.

Lansing IT Council to hear from Microsoft: More than 60 local information technology companies will be on-hand Thursday, May 22 when Brendan Newell, Partner Technology Specialist with Microsoft Corp. descends upon Lansing.  Newell will be meeting with the companies through the Capital Area IT Council to talk about Microsoft Server 2008 and its virtualization capabilities. Other area businesses are welcome to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about how local businesses will be able to leverage Microsoft's technology to make their businesses and workforce even more agile.
The group will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lansing Community College West Campus Michigan Technical Education Center, 5708 Cornerstone Drive in Lansing (a map's at www.lcc.edu/maps/westcampus.htm). A complimentary lunch will be provided.  To register for the May 22 event with Microsoft, contact Chris Knapp, executive director of the Capital Area IT Council, at (517) 492-5592 or cknapp@camw.net.

Refresh Detroit sets May meet: May’s Refresh Detroit meeting will be on the 21st, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the downtown Ann Arbor District library in Ann Arbor. The program will feature a few quick presentations by members, as well as general discussion on the latest news, challenges, projects, and ideas that the group members have encountered in their Web related occupations, hobbies and activities.

UM to meet on emerging mobility technology: University of Michigan researchers and industry executives from around the world will explore how "New Mobility Means Business" at a panel on emerging markets in sustainable urban transportation. The event runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 11, 2008. Sue Cischke, vice president for safety and sustainability at Ford Motor Co., will deliver the keynote address before the panel discussion. Panelists are Ford Motor Executive Chairman William Clay Ford, Jr., Cisco Systems Managing Partner Val Stoyanov, Royal Dutch/Shell VP Niel Golightly, Cherokee Vice President Paul Morris, GoLoco CEO (and founder of Zipcar) Robin Chase, and Mapunity India CEO Ashwin Mahesh. Topics include how new mobility/sustainable urban transportation mean business for individual companies and for the future of the global new mobility industry. The event will be held at the  University of Michigan Rackham School of Graduate Studies, Central Campus, 915 E. Washington Street, Ann Arbor. For more information about the panel discussion, contact Susan Zielinski at susanz@isr.umich.edu. 

Biz analysts to meet: The Southeast Michigan chapter of the International Institute of Business Analysis will hold its bi-monthly meeting on June 19 at RL Polk in Southfield from  5:30 to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served and there is no cost to attend. The organization will celebrate its second year in a program that will include presentations by Bryan Shrader of Advantage Tek, providing a state of the industry talk on business analyst employment trends, and Michelle Pallas and Gina Schwalm of Lighthouse Consulting Partners guiding participants through business analysis training trends, certification and the role of the business analyst in corporations today. For more information or to RSVP, e-mail    Events@SEmichigan.TheIIBA.org. 

UHY, Campfire Interactive to host auto supplier tech seminar: Sterling Heights-based UHY Advisors MI Inc., a professional services firm, and Campfire Interactive, have announced a free breakfast seminar, “Connecting the Disconnected: Sustaining Profitability Through Integrating the Quoting, Costing and Launch Management Process,” at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 9 at Automation Alley, 2675 Bellingham in Troy. The seminar will feature presentations by David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, on “Key Operational Challenges Facing Automotive Suppliers,” and by Ravi Nayar, Managing Director with UHY Advisors MI Inc. and leader of the firm’s national manufacturing industry practice, on creating an “Implementation Roadmap.” The seminar will also explore best practices for improving profitability by transitioning from spreadsheets and Access databases to an integrated pre-production process. To RSVP and learn more about the seminar, call (586) 254-1040, Ext. 372 or email jhull@uhy-us.com. UHY provides tax and business consulting, while Ann Arbor-based Campfire Interactive provides Internet-based collaborative product development. 

HDI Motown partners with ITEC: The Motown Chapter of the Help Desk Institute said it is a partner in the ITEC Detroit trade show taking place next week, May 21 and 22, at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi. Show attendance is free for all HDI Motown Members using "HDIVIP" as the VIP Code when registering on the Web site. HDI Motown Local Chapter Officers will also be working a booth in the exhibit hall as well, offering  HDI Motown swag.