The
AIA national convention seems to grow bigger and better every year. When
the AIA 2004 Convention and Expo met June 10–12 at Chicago’s
McCormick Place, more than 22,000 building design professionals—the
largest convention attendance ever—visited 877 leading-edge companies
displaying products and services for the design and construction industry
and occupying more than 182,000 square feet of exhibit space. Attendees
also collectively earned more than 66,415 learning units from 29 interactive
pre-convention workshops, 150 seminars, 49 professional tours of Chicago’s
spectacularly varied architecture, and selected AIA/CES Registered Providers.
Attendees also eagerly attended the convention’s daily presentations
built on this year’s theme of “Learn. Celebrate. Dream,”
which opened with a keynote by Mayor Richard Daley.
- June 10: Celebrated journalist Erik Larson, author of the bestseller,
The Devil in the White City: Murder,
Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, discussed
the making of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago
and the nation’s first serial killer/media celebrity.
- June 11: Renowned architect Helmut Jahn, FAIA, presented his work
as a celebration of architecture and the dreams those celebrations inspire.
- June 12: Author, analyst, and award-winning commentator Virginia Postrel
discussed social trends and their economic implications, including the
recent trend that focuses on aesthetics and their fundamental importance
to our personal, social, and economic lives.
Visit
AIArchitect’s coverage of
convention highlights.
Next
Year: Las Vegas!
If you missed this year’s convention, start planning now to attend
the AIA 2005 Convention and Design Exposition, May 19–21, 2005,
at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas. The casinos, shows,
golf courses, Elvis, and neon lights that make Las Vegas the “Entertainment
Capital of the World” should provide a fascinating venue though
which architects can explore the 2005 convention theme: The Power of Architecture:
Imagine, Create, Transform.
The theme centers on the concept that architects have the power—and
the responsibility—to shape the communities where people live and
work. By creating livable, dynamic spaces; fostering affordable transportation;
and creating and protecting “green” spaces in a parched environment,
architects can foster economic vitality and build stronger, more vibrant
communities. Las Vegas provides an interesting case because it is, in
reality, two co-existing communities: the economic driver defined by tourism
and entertainment (The Strip), and the community of permanent residents.
The architectural dichotomy in these two diverse sides of Las Vegas will
make a unique backdrop in which to explore the power and responsibility
of design!
For the most up-to-date convention information, visit
AIA.org.
Copyright 2004 The American Institute of Architects.
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