Pacific Dental Conference to be held in Vancouver

Meeting organizers have put together an enhanced program of speakers and workshops for 2010. The brand new exhibit hall will be home to more than 500 exhibitor booths showcasing a wide range of dental products and services. More than 130 sessions will be offered on a wide range of topics.

Meeting highlights

To complement the new home for the Pacific Dental Conference, meeting organizers have announced some fresh new additions to the program as well as some enhancements to the Web site. Among them are the following:

• A brand new exhibit hall location with an Internet Cafe and three dining lounges.
• Extended exhibit hall hours.
• A new live dentistry stage, located in the exhibit hall.
• Up to 15 hours of C.sE. credits.
• A So You Think You Can Speak? educational series.

Meeting organizers said they are excited to see the constant growth of the conference more than the past few years, with a new record of more than 11,600 participants in attendance last year. Partnering with valued exhibitors is important to the meeting’s continued success, organizers said.

“Our exhibit hall, known for its value, affordability and friendly atmosphere, has become the primary venue for dental professionals to experience the latest products and services,” meeting organizers said.

Special events

A number of special events will be held during the meeting.

Life Is Too Short to Drink Bad Wine — Southern Hemisphere Edition will be held Thursday, 15 April, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Attendees will be able to sample a variety of wines from the Southern Hemisphere at the event. Wine expert David Lancelot from Vancouver’s popular Marquis Wine Cellars has hand-picked a fabulous selection of limited-production and hard-to-find wines from such countries as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa and Argentina. The event will be held in the Vancouver Convention Centre’s third floor foyer overlooking the Burrard Inlet and North Shore Mountains. This event promises “delicious wine, fresh bread to accompany it, expert viticultural advice and a knockout view.” The cost for the event is $37 plus tax.

A Friday Night Social will be held Friday, 16 April, from 6:45 to 10 p.m. The Friday night event provides a perfect opportunity to catch up with your friends and colleagues, enjoy a light snack and cool beverage, while the techno-lit dance floor beckons you to kick up your heels to sounds of ABBA CADABRA! This performance pays tribute to the musical supergroup ABBA. “The PDC Friday Night Social is a perfect way to start your Friday night in Vancouver,” meeting organizers said. The cost for the social is $25 plus tax.

Planning tools

To help attendees make the most of their conference experience, meeting organizers have made a number of planning tools available online. You can create a personal schedule of sessions that you plan to attend, including first, second and third choices in each timeslot. Each person in your attendee account can have his or her own schedule. In addition, you can create a list of “must-see exhibitors” you most want to visit in the exhibit hall, and get a floor plan map that will help you find them. Each person in your attendee account can have his or her own exhibitor map.

The planning tools, and more information about the meeting in general, are available at www.pdconf.com.