Every year, the Elevator U Conference is held for students and professionals to exchange knowledge and insight each year about vertical transportation units such as elevators and escalators. It is an academic conference that seeks to spread a wealth of knowledge through a series of talks and exhibit booths. The very first elevator U conference was held back in 1998 with an exceptional turnout. This year, the 13th annual Elevator U conference of 2010 took place on June 8th. Jeff Cooper of Perdue University hosted the event, as he had done for the first Elevator U conference in 1998.

With over 45 EU members representing 25 different schools and over 76 elevator industry members, this year’s conference was comprised of several different industry professionals such as consultants and various elevator suppliers and manufacturers. The event offered a number of opportunities for attendees to interact with their peers and discuss any elevator industry issues and concerns that they may have and gain knowledge that could rarely be found elsewhere. Issues such as consulting, design, engineering, and more are discussed at length making the Elevator U conference a valuable resource for all involved in the industry.

A separate Q.E.I. Session is offered at the conference. The session is an additional $150.00 per person on top of the entrance fee for the conference, which is open to both EU members and non members. EU members were eligible to purchase a three day pass for only $200.00 a person, while those who were non-members could purchase the pass for $250.00. A class was also offered for students interested in gaining some extra knowledge. The course, if completed, also gained its attendees .8 CEU’s of credit for their college transcript.

Membership into Elevator U is open to a wide variety of elevator experts including consultants, manufacturers, contractors, and students. It was formed in order to create a forum in which different organizations could freely discuss elevator and escalator innovations, helping all to engineer, design, and manufacture better elevators as new technologies come into existence. This type of interaction between different elevator industry professionals cannot be found anywhere else. A small membership fee of $100 gains individuals’ access to the Members Only portion of the website and gives options to attend meetings and discounted entry to the Elevator U conference held each year at Perdue University.

Overall, it would seem that the Elevator U Conference of 2010 was a success in its mission to spread knowledge and promote vendors of companies both large and small. Compelling events such as the Elevator U Conference continue to promote excellence in design and engineering of elevators as well as help to ensure that elevators and escalators continue to be built safely and properly, which subsequently cuts down on accidents and costly break-downs. New breakthroughs in technology can also be spread faster to more locations through the distribution of knowledge. The Elevator U Conference helps not only students and businesses, but in one respect, also the consumers who purchase and install elevators, as well as the passengers of those elevators.

Author Bio: Wilson Castrillon has been in the elevator industry for over 25 years. In the 1990s he received his NYC Department of Buildings inspector’s license and his QEI Certification. In 1999 he started his own elevator consulting business providing design, engineering, and more. www.cbaconsultants.com

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: elevator design,elevator engineering,elevator consultants,elevator U conference,elevator U 2010,QEI