With over 70% of ASLRRA's Annual Convention attendees stating that they attend for the educational content and industry information, our planning committee has devoted months to the selection of topics and speaker selection.
This year's schedule of speakers and presentations is outstanding, beginning with our two training seminars: HazMat Handling - Triennial Training and Track Safety Standards with CWR Training which we've timed to coincide with exhibit all activities and can be taken as standalone training or as an inexpensive add-on to the general session.
Our General Session speaker lineup this year will kick off with a keynote address from the man closest to Warren Buffett's most recent acquisition, Railway Age's Railroader of the Year and BNSF's Chairman, President & CEO, Matt Rose. At the recent induction ceremony, Rose commented that BNSF is "honored by the investment that Warren Buffett has made. He has given me specific instructions on how to make decisions. Here they are: 'Run BNSF like it's your family business that you will lead for the next 100 years' always erring on the long-term view and remaining focused on the right investments, operating decisions, and leadership." Our next speaker will be the new FRA Administrator, Hon. Joseph C. Szabo. A fifth generation railroader, we're looking forward to hearing about his first year in the position and find out the future plans for the organization, including the impleementation and funding of new regulations and mandates coming out of the RSAC process. And we'll close out the general session with Fortress Investments' Managing Director, Joseph P. Adams, who will talk about RailAmerica's decision to go public again and his thoughts on how railroads are faring on Wall Street and in the economy as a whole.
ASLRRA considers our Exhibition to be an important part of the education process. This year we have an exciting addition to the Annual Exhibit by spotlighting companies that provide Green products and services to the railroad industry. 30 booth spaces have been reserved in the middle of the hall to feature those service providers. The Green Aisle will also include a Green Theater, where companies participating in the Green Aisle can deliver short presentations on their products and services and discuss the ways that they have contributed to improvements to the environment and other benefits. Additionally, on Monday morning, we'll feature "Coffee Talk" with the EPA in the Green Theater. We'll have EPA officials on hand to answer your questions about EPA programs and funding available to make your railroad more environmentally-friendly.
Beginning on Monday at 11:00am, the meeting will break out into RailroadU: seven educational tracks covering over 40 sessions in the areas of Engineering & Maintenance of Way; Finance & Administration; Legal; Legislative & Regulatory; Marketing; Operations & Safety; and Technology. These tracks are designed to provide exceptional education for railroad professionals. If you are new to the business or are just looking for a refresher, check out the RR101-designated breakouts. These sessions will provide you with basic skills that are fundamental to understanding the rail industry. The seven RailroadU Education Tracks will run concurrently starting Monday and continuing Tuesday morning, offering you and your staff ample educational opportunities.
To view the complete mailer for the 2010 Annual Convention, click here.
