AIHce EXP 2022: The OEHS Industry’s Premier Conference Welcomes You to Nashville May 23

By: Susan Marchese, CAE; AIHA Managing Director, Marketing and Communications

1 .Q)  I heard that over 2500 people are registered and attending AIHce EXP 2022 onsite in Nashville this year! Yet, in the news we are noticing a resurgence of COVID-19 in some states. What measures does AIHA have in place to mitigate the spread of the virus?

A). As the Association committed to protecting the health and safety of workers and their communities, AIHA takes seriously the safety of AIHce EXP attendees, staff members, exhibitors, sponsors, representatives of allied organizations, and all others involved with making the conference possible. AIHA staff monitors the professional event sphere to gain insight into best practices for keeping people safe in conference settings. Furthermore, the staff works closely with the convention center and Nashville city government to incorporate safety practices with an industrial hygienist’s expertise. The Association’s on-staff industrial hygienist, Michele Twilley, DrPH, CIH, has reviewed performance data provided by the venues on their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at Music City Center and each hotel in the AIHce EXP block.

One aspect of AIHA’s efforts to keep AIHce EXP as safe as possible is our policy of requiring every in-person AIHce EXP 2022 attendee to provide EITHER proof of a complete COVID-19 vaccination cycle OR the results of an adverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19 obtained within 72 hours of the event. This policy protects all attendees, staff, vendors, and partners and aligns with guidance issued by CDC and public health authorities.

Although masking is optional, one of our conference sponsors, Draeger will make KN95 masks available for all conference attendees.

2 Q). What are AIHA’s plans for people who either can’t get clearance from their employers to travel or for if they simply are uncomfortable to meet in person just yet?

A).  AIHA will also offer a very robust virtual conference with up to 5 concurrent sessions per time block.  And the virtual conference is not just for individuals who can’t make it to Nashville.  We have dozens of companies who buy group registrations and then assemble their teams at their offices to partake in the virtual event together.

3 Q). I understand that with onsite or virtual registration for all conference attendees, it comes with something called AIHce OnDemand?  What is OnDemand and how many contact hours can people earn if they take part in it?

A). Our education team and Conference Planning Committee has made this year’s AIHce an educational EXPerience where you can earn up to 18 certification maintenance (CM) credits. But deciding amongst our full on-site schedule, which includes 51 professional development courses, 103 education sessions, 30 research roundups, 4 poster sessions, and 30 pop-up education sessions, can feel overwhelming.

Our team wanted to take the stress out of those decisions, which is why we’re offering all conference registrants access to AIHce OnDemand for free whether you register to attend the conference virtually or in person, for the entire three days, or only one day. With AIHce OnDemand, attendees will receive audio recordings synched to most session presenters’ slides, available in 3-4 weeks after the conference up through December 31, 2022. The AIHce OnDemand option allows one to earn additional CM credits on top of the 18 available during the live conference event, giving you more time to network, browse the Expo, and attend other events. (Note that a small percentage of sessions will be unavailable for OnDemand due to speaker permissions.)

5 Q). For a lot of people, this is the first time to attend a conference in 2 years since the pandemic hit.  Does AIHA have any networking or fun events planned for AIHce this year?

A). There are activities that will keep the onsite AIHce attendee busy at all times if they wish!  Here are just a few examples…

For newcomers to AIHce, there will be a Meet and Greet breakfast sponsored by Dupont on Monday, May 23.  For students and early career professionals, we will have The Nexus, where onsite attendees will be treated to a “Lessons in Leadership” series of meet and greets with our two keynote speakers, AIHA’s named award winners, board members, and volunteer group and committee members. And, as in years past, there is the CareerAdvantage Resource center where attendees can take advantage of free counseling, resumé critiquing, access to job listings, interviewing, and networking.  If you want to support a great cause but also stay active while at the convention center, there is the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation’s (AIHF) 5K Fun Run (or 2.5K walk) on Tues., 5/24!

And then, of course, there’s the EXPo which will be packed with hundreds of vendors all excited to meet up in person, present what’s new and what’s next at innovation station, and click glasses during the Expo Hall networking reception on Mon., 5/23.

6 Q). For a lot of people, conference education sessions are perfect for them, but others want or need a deep dive on a particular subject.  What does AIHA offer for those who want more interaction and more contact hours?

A). AIHce EXP hosts professional development courses (PDCs) before and after the conference (Saturday, May 21; Sunday, May 22; and Thursday, May 26). These courses are formalized learning experiences that, through in-depth instruction by field experts, enhance technical competence and provide practical tools and skills for the modern workplace.

Of course, there are also AIHA University eLearning courses available throughout the year that may be suitable for many other people’s education needs.

7 Q). What keynote speakers does AIHA have lined up in 2022?

A). The opening keynote is Captain Chris Cassidy, a decorated and former U.S. Navy SEAL and recently retired NASA astronaut. We selected him to speak kick things off because Captain Cassidy successfully navigated all kinds of environments through effective risk assessment strategies, tactics and decision-making.  He will share his success stories and speak to the critical role that OEHS professionals have as Chief Risk Assessors and Safety Officers keeping workplaces healthy and safe.

The closing keynote is James Frederick, OSHA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.  Mr. Frederick will discuss the agency’s ongoing activities, rulemakings, and initiatives to keep workers healthy and safe. Mr. Frederick will also look ahead to the future of work and discuss how the occupational safety and health community can best prepare for the challenges and opportunities to come.

To learn more about AIHce EXP 2022, visit: www.AIHceEXP.org