June 2019 OES Beacon

OCEANS 2019 Seattle

Seattle’s connection to maritime exploration, commerce, and innovation goes back to the first humans who settled by its shores. The Duwamish people, European settlers, and more recent American tech migrants have all come to Seattle drawn by two things: enormous natural and intellectual resources marshaled in a compact-sized city centrally located in an easily navigable region.

Returning for its decadal visit, Seattle again hosts the Marine Technology Society’s and IEEE’s Oceanic Engineering Society’s OCEANS Conference from Sunday, October 27, to Thursday, October 31, 2019.

Conference Highlights

Golden Planet of Seattle by Sigma Sreedharan.

Themed “Blue Sky. Blue Sea. Blue Tech,” OCEANS 2019 Seattle’s focus is to attract professionals and students in industry, academia, and the public sector seeking a common forum to exchange information and ideas, particularly about developing next-generation technologies and materials to explore the oceans for science, resource extraction, and remediation.

The local organizing committee, in partnership with the societies and the conference event planner, has a few new things in store for OCEANS 2019 Seattle attendees:

A Start-Up Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall offering new and emerging companies opportunities to have their new technologies and services exposed to a broader audience;
A moderated town hall discussion featuring an expert panel on ocean plastics;
A poster session for professionals; and,
Tutorials integrated into OCEANS more seamlessly and occurring on Thursday, October 31st.
Visit the OCEANS 2019 Seattle’s website for more specific and updated information. https://seattle19.oceansconference.org/

Convention Center and Hotel
OCEANS 2019 Seattle’s home will be in the Washington State Convention Center, nestled at the edge of downtown’s main business district. The 60,000-square foot Exhibit Hall will house marine technology instrument makers and service vendors while comfortable seminar rooms will allow presenters and participants to exchange ideas about the latest scientific findings and current marine technology innovations in dozens of presentations and tutorials.

One block away, the newly-built and recently-opened Grand Hyatt Seattle will be the place you lay your head at the end of a busy day. While the Grand Hyatt Seattle features an in-house restaurant, you will be within easy walking distance of myriad restaurants including Ruth’s Chris Steak House, the Cheesecake Factory, Palomino, Dragonfish Asian Café, and Tap House Seattle . . . to name a very few dining choices outside the conference venue and your hotel.

Seattle skyline

Come Early or Stay Late
Despite its latitude, Seattle is temperate year-round. The North Pacific provides enough rain to give the city one of its nicknames (“The Emerald City”) but not so much to interfere in year-round outdoor activities.

The city itself offers museums (The Seattle Art Museum, Wing Luke Museum, The Museum of History and Industry), attractions (the Space Needle, the Seattle Aquarium, the Underground Tour, Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square), and enough shopping opportunities to make year-end festivities and gift giving unique. Yet, within two-hours travel time you are able to visit wilderness in any one of three national parks (Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, and Olympic National Park). Closer still, the western slope of the Cascades offers hiking and mountain biking opportunities on state park and national forest lands while Lake Washington, Lake Union and Puget Sound provide fresh and saltwater boating opportunities for all tastes and experience levels.

OCEANS 2019 Seattle provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore new science, new technology, to catch-up with old friends and colleagues, and to meet new ones. Mark your calendar, submit your abstract, and make your travel plans to attend.

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