Conference Report

CONFERENCE

The Scottsdale Report

As we release this first issue of the UPA Voice, we are getting ready to attend the '99 UPA Conference in Scottsdale Arizona. This last conference of the current millennium (depending on how you count) looks toward being another great one. Preliminary registration has been good and this is one conference you won't want to miss.

The theme of the 1999 conference is Horizons to the Future - appropriate as we share our experiences as usability professionals and plan for our role in our organizations and industries in the new millennium.

The theme also reflects the dramatic natural landscape we will enjoy from high in the Sonoran Desert at the world-renowned Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Phoenician promises to provide us with a comfortable and luxurious setting in the midst of the rugged beauty of the Camelback Mountains.

Thomas Landauer will deliver the keynote address The World Needs You Desperately. Brenda Laurel will speak on Balancing Values in Design.

The UPA continues to actively promote growth and diversity in our membership. We want to attract new usability specialists, experienced usability practitioners, as well as professionals from other disciplines who can benefit from membership in the UPA. Our program this year features a variety of topics that will make the conference a rewarding experience for everyone who attends.

In response to requests from our members, in this conference we have significantly expanded our tutorial selection. The tutorials offered represent some of the best professional educational opportunities available to learn more about usability. We also have six exciting workshops in which you can participate.

This year we are also introducing business case studies into the conference program. As always, the UPA conference will continue to emphasize interaction among attendees, with opportunities for sharing ideas at breaks and meals, and during conference sessions, where organizers are asked to reserve one-third to one-half of the total session time for audience participation.

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