When is the conference and workshop?
Our meeting is always held at the end of August and this year we are holding the meeting during the last week in August. The workshop will be held on Thursday, August 27th and the User Group Meeting will be held on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) at the David H. Murdock Research Center in Kannapolis, North Carolina. This is the first time we have held the conference outside of Atlanta.

Where will the conference be held?
The 2009 MPE User Group Meeting and Workshop will be held for the first time outside of Atlanta and will be held at the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in the David H. Murdock Research . Center, in Kannapolis, NC. Kannapolis is located just a few miles north of Charlotte, NC.  The two day even both the workshop (Thursday, August 27th) and the MPE User Group Meeting (Friday, August 28th) will be held in the main research center building. Please see map links for directions.

What is the cost of the conference?
FREE ---There is NO cost for the Workshop or the User Group Meeting…AND we will provide box lunches for our work shop attendees and you will be our guest for a luncheon on Friday noon at the research center. Coherent and Zeiss have paid all registration fees. You are responsible for any travel and hotel accommodations. You will be our guest for a special conference dinner at one of the area restaurants on Thursday evening.

How do I register for the conference?
You can register directly on this site. You can register multiple people during the same registration process.  Please follow this link for registration.

What is the format for the speakers and what equipment will be available for the presentations?
Each speaker will have 25 min for their presentation, and 5 minutes for questions. You will have a video projector and screen. If you have your presentation on a thumb drive and in Microsoft Power point, a computer will be available for your presentation. Standard video hook up will be available for personal computers as well. The presentation in the Murdock center facility is world class.

Will there be a program published?
Each year we publish a detailed program with abstracts of each presentation and from the poster session. We would like to have your abstract for both the oral presentations and the posters by July 31 for inclusion in the program.  These will also be published on the web site.  

Are there reduced rate hotel rooms being reserved for out of town visitors?
We are setting up rooms at  hotel convenient to the NCRC. We will have room block information up on the web site in the next week or two.

Where can I park?
There is ample parking for visitors to the institute in an attached parking deck.

What will be covered in the workshop
The Zeiss sponsored workshop will concentrate on real world applications issues, and will highlight examples from research groups around the Southeast. A key to the success of our program is the ability to get “hands on experience” with a live multiphoton confocal microscope system. We will be planning the exact workshop schedule in the coming weeks.

What will be covered in the conference?
The User Group Meeting is a scientific meeting focusing on multi-photon imaging applications and related research that brings together investigators, students and commercial researchers from around the Southeast. The schedule includes ample time for questions and discussions. In addition you will hear about the latest research tools, innovations and cutting edge developments that Coherent and Zeiss offer that support the MPE research community.

Will there be time to tour the labs at the Murdock research institute?
On Thursday afternoon at the conclusion of the workshop and again on Friday afternoon at the conclusion of the presentations, we will have formalized tours of the research laboratories in the Murdock research institute. The David H. Murdock Research Institute is the first of its kind, housing a unique collection of state-of-the-art instrumentation in one central location. The DHMRI provides over 80,000 square feet of specialized laboratory space and  is home to the “worlds largest collection of high technology research tools ever assembled under a single in roof”.

Can I bring my students?
A very strong YES!   We have a key focus on student involvement, so please encourage your students to attend and to especially get involved with the poster session. See next question…

Are you having a poster session?
Yes. We are very interested in sharing the work of each group by way of a student dominated poster session. Supporting the student researcher in this way is a principle factor in the continued success and value of the conference. The actual poster session will be on Friday afternoon in the Murdock institute concurrently with lab tours and a wine and cheese social at the conclusion of Friday’s presentations. The posters will be judged and prizes awarded to the outstanding entries. Remember, each poster presenter will have “a one slide presentation” and  1-2 min oral presentation that highlights their work during the user group meeting on Friday. All poster presenters would please forward the one Power Point slide to me by July 31.

Whom do I contact if I have additional questions?
Please feel free to e-mail any of the conference team directly should you have any additional questions.

Conference team:

Scott Crane – Coherent                          scott.crane@coherent.com  800-400-3008

Katherine Schafer-Hales - Zeiss               khales@zeiss.com     800.543.1033 ext. 6084

William Faught - Zeiss                             wfaught@zeiss.com    800-543-1033 ext. 7131

Please check back into the web site for the latest program information. We will also be sending out additional information in e-mail announcements during the coming weeks.

Thank you for all of your support.  See you all in Kannapolis, NC  August 27th for the Workshop and the 28th for the User Group Meeting

Scott Crane, Coherent Inc.
Scott.crane@coherent.com
1-800-400-3008 or 770-788-2847

Related Links . . .

• 2009 Southeast MPE Conference
• 2009 Southeast MPE Conference Featured Speakers
• 2009 Southeast MPE Conference Hotel
• 2009 Southeast MPE Conference Maps and Directions
• 2009 Southeast MPE Conference Plenary Speaker
• 2009 Southeast MPE Conference Registration Form
• 2009 Southeast MPE Conference User Group Meeting - Friday, August 28
• 2009 Southeast MPE Conference Workshop - Thursday, August 27

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