16 Oct 13. Strong physical and virtual attendance expected at 2013 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) has announced that pre-registrations are on track for the 2013 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition, which takes place Oct. 21-23 in Washington, D.C. “We currently have in excess of 25,000 pre-registrations and we expect increases through on-site registrations,” Lt. Gen. Roger Thompson, USA, Ret., AUSA’s Vice President for Membership and Meetings, said.
Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, USA, Ret., AUSA’s president, commented, “AUSA and senior Army leaders, with budget challenges at top-of-mind, have crafted another world-class professional development experience that benefits our Army, our industry partners and the American people by keeping key audiences informed about how our Army is truly ‘globally responsive and regionally engaged’.”
For those who will not be able to attend in person, live-streaming of almost every panel will be available at www.army.mil/professional and www.ausa.org. Soldiers and family members will also be able to ask questions of the speakers at appropriate times through social media. All of the sessions will be recorded so participants can go back at a later time and watch them.
Maj. Alison M. Hamilton, Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, said, “Live streaming these forums gives the opportunity to hear senior-leader priorities, learn how they view changes in the force over the next 10 years and hear about important policy decisions and the Ready and Resilient Campaign.”
The theme for this year’s professional development forum is: “America’s Army: Globally Responsive, Regionally Engaged.” The AUSA Annual Meeting is designed around maximum interaction and an exchange of ideas. Attendance is free. Attendees, both physical and virtual, willbe exposed to AUSA’s Contemporary Military Forums featuring senior Army leaders speaking on critical and timely topics. AUSA Family Forums will offer presentations tackling the real world challenges facing soldiers and their families. For the first time, this year’s Annual Meeting will feature a Warriors To The Workforce Hiring Event for veterans, created by the American Freedom Foundation in partnership with AUSA. Attending veterans can talk with employers, submit qualifications and participate in job interviews on the spot. Another new addition to the Annual Meeting is the Small Business Pavilion on the show floor. In addition, the Army has authorized designated assembly areas on the exhibit floors to facilitate key engagements among industry and the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy & Environment), Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology), U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM), the Department of the Army Office of Small Business Programs (OSPB), and other senior leaders.