The Hilton Head Workshop was created to build a community of colleagues in the Americas, to encourage the free exchange of ideas, and to provide an environment where students could participate and learn. The firm limit on the number of attendees, a single-session format with ample discussion time for oral papers, the contributed poster session, the open poster session, and the free time each day, all serve these goals.

The Workshop alternates years with the Transducers Conference, which is the major international meeting held in odd-numbered years, rotating between Europe, Asia and America. Transducers 2009 will be in Denver, Colorado, USA, Transducers 2011 will be in Beijing, China, and Transducers 2013 will be in Barcelona, Spain.

The founders of the Workshop selected a location that is not only pleasant, but one that encourages full-time participation with minimal distractions from the workplace. Networking lunches, the Wednesday evening discussion session (Rump), as well as free time every day for recreation combine to create the ideal environment. The participants have repeatedly voted to keep the Workshop at Hilton Head.

In some cases, authors have already prepared their abstract but not requested an Abstract Reference Number. This will allow those authors to quickly retrieve an Abstract Reference Number, place it in the upper right hand corner of their paper and submit their abstract via the Workshop website.

Please email the Workshop organizer's at info@hh2008.org   (back) to obtain your Abstract Reference Number. Please include the name of the primary contact for the abstract as well as the abstract title.

In contrast to the many international conferences that are open to all, the Hilton Head Workshop is focused specifically on community building within the Americas. The participants have voted to maintain this regional focus as the ideal forum to exhibit the work of young and developing researchers alongside the best of the best from more senior workers. Foreign alumni - those who first attended a Workshop while they were affiliated with an institution in the Americas but are now located elsewhere - are being welcomed to the Workshop this year.

The meeting has a limit on the number of attendees and the Chairman is required to assure that no one group is overly represented. By using an application procedure, balanced attendance can be assured, even if the size limit is reached. The Workshop also has the policy of discouraging attendance by those with only a sales or investment interest, so as not to dilute the technical content or inhibit the open exchange of ideas.

The convenient beachside location and a desire to stimulate as much interaction as possible means that casual attire is the norm. Some folks wear tasteful shorts and a polo shirt, while others wear khakis and a casual dress shirt. Ties and sport coats are not as common.

Registered attendees are encouraged to bring their families. Families have become an integral part of the meeting environment. The Crown Plaza Resort (www.cphiltonhead.com   (back)) has a wide range of activities for all ages. The private beach is a short walk away and the pool is open late at night. Bicycles, boats and other beach items are available for rent. Babysitters and supervised kid activities can be arranged through the Resort staff.

The accompanied guest meal ticket entitles one to the breakfast served each morning in the one of the Resort's restaurants as well as all lunches and the Tuesday night banquet.

Attendees will be provided with a breakfast in the meeting room lobby and is a primary opportunity to meet and converse with colleagues. Families are served breakfast in the in one of the Resort's restaurants. Accompanied guests are welcome to eat lunch either with their registered attendee or immediately when the buffet opens. The Tuesday night buffet is also open to registered attendees as well as all those with an accompanied guest meal ticket.

Your registration receipt will be emailed to you as a PDF attachment, along with your registration confirmation, once your payment has been processed.

If you have a special dietary request not listed in the menu, please email the Workshop organizers at info@hh2008.org   (back).

For a list of available opportunities, please be sure to down load the Exhibitor Contract located under the "Exhibition" tab in the upper left hand corner. For any questions regarding these opportunities, please contact the Workshop organizers at info@hh2008.org   (back).

The Transducer Research Foundation, Inc. (TRF) is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to stimulate research within the Americas in science and engineering, with emphasis on technologies related to transducers and microsystems, and to foster the exchange of ideas and information. The TRF is the sponsor of the Hilton Head Workshop and several other focused workshops. The TRF uses the proceeds of its workshops to make student travel grants for attendance at both regional and international conferences. Hundreds of students, including many of the present leaders in the field, got their first conference experience at a Hilton Head Workshop, and, similarly, hundreds have benefited from travel grants allowing them to attend other meetings.