CMSC: More Than a Trade Show for 3-D Measurement

Open, educational venue inspires collaborative atmosphere.

Published: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - 16:03

The Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC) is next week, July 20–24. There is no event in the United States better situated to communicate the value and return on investment of large scale 3-D metrology than the CMSC. This year’s CMSC, its 25th, will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the only show dedicated specifically to large-scale 3-D measurement equipment and software.

While the show caters to metrology professionals, it is, and always has been family friendly. The CMSC is held in different ares of the country each year and it isn't unusual for attendees to bring their spouses and children.

The show's grass roots feel encourages ideas, concepts, and theory to flow freely. Exhibitors and attendees collaborate to find the right solutions for their 3-D measurement problems. Exhibitors play a key role at the CMSC, but at the heart of the conference are the technical presentations from industry experts, providing 3-D solutions in action—everything from photogrammetry and laser trackers, to articulating arms and structured white-light scanners. These are rarely sales pitches for one technology; because the issues involved in large-scale 3-D measurement are so complex. Rather, presentations often focus on how multiple 3-D metrology systems, often from different vendors, can be used to solve unique 3-D measurement problems.

On Tuesday morning, the CMSC will host the 2009 Keynote Speaker Kip Schmidt of Spirit Aerosystems Inc. Mr. Schmidt, the Director of New Technology, will present "Back to the Future of Measurement." Spirit Aerosytems is a leading supplier of commercial airplane assemblies and components, with capabilities that are technologically world-class in both proficiency and capacity. The company's headquarters are in Wichita, Kansas, the Air Capital of the World, with additional operations in Oklahoma, Scotland, and England.

On Wednesday evening, conference attendees enjoy the CMSC Dinner Banquet and entertainment featuring comedian, ventriloquist, and magician, David Crone. A former Fortune 500 executive, Crone is no dummy. His unique combination of comedy, ventriloquism, and magic is sure to have everyone laughing for days. Crone has performed on stages from Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas for corporations from AOL to Zippo.

The CMSC Friday Tour includes a tour of Churchill Downs, “Home of the Kentucky Derby.” At the Kentucky Derby Museum, attendees will experience all the sights and sounds of the Kentucky Derby by watching the 360° panoramic presentation, “The Greatest Race.” On the outside track tour, attendees will hear the facts and folklore that make the Kentucky Derby the greatest two minutes in sports.

Next on the tour is Bardstown, Kentucky, the heart of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. Lunch will be at the Talbott Tavern, which has provided shelter, food, and drink to Kentucky travelers since the late 1700s. Talbott Tavern is known as the oldest western stagecoach stop in America, as the westward expansion brought explorers from the east into Kentucky. Famous Americans from Abraham Lincoln to General George Patton are said to have stayed at the Tavern. The historic Cathedral in Bardstown is just down the street. 

After lunch, the next stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is the Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center. At the Bourbon Heritage Center, attendees can explore interactive exhibits showing the birth of bourbon, learn about whiskey-making pioneers Evan Williams and Rev. Elijah Craig, and check out the process that produces some of the world’s most acclaimed bourbons. Attendees will also enjoy the “Portrait of Heaven Hill” movie, visit a working Rickhouse, and discover the romance and lore of bourbon. 

The complete Friday tour costs $65. Tickets go fast so be sure to purchase the tour at the same time you sign up for the conference.

To register for the CMSC visit www.cmsc.org/register/index.php.

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