I have to be in two places at once the first week of October. Unless I perfect the process of binary fission for humans very soon, it is going to be a hectic week.
I recently volunteered for, and was appointed to, two committees for the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC). I will now serve on both the Disability Management & Return to Work Committee and the Research & Standards Committee for that organization. I am pleased to have the opportunity to do so, as I have a great deal of respect for the IAIABC, and these are two areas near and dear to my heart. Certainly readers know I have an opinion or two about Disability Management in this country.
The IAIABC is holding their 99th Annual Convention in San Diego, CA September 30 thru October 3, 2013. Committee members are asked to attend and participate in their respective meetings during this event. The only problem is that I am scheduled to speak at the California Workers’ Compensation and Risk Conference, which runs at the same time, October 1 – 4, 2013 in Dana Point, CA. I am on a “Leading Industry Blogger Panel” with David Depaolo and Roberto Ceniceros. It is moderated by Mark Walls.
I've done a few of these panels, and really enjoy them. This will be the first time I have been on one with Ceniceros. We've decided that I, of course, will be the “slightly to the right of Attila the Hun Conservative”, while Ceniceros will be the liberal, based primarily on the fact that he has the longest hair. In reality, we aren't really consistent with the hair standard, or if we were, Depaolo would have to represent the neo-Nazi point of view on the panel. He really is not suited to that role. Walls job as moderator will be to hold a big stick and beat us senseless if and when we get out of line. Come to think of it, these never end well.
At any rate, I have fortunately worked out a solution and can appear to be in two places at once. The two committees are scheduled for October 1st at the IAIABC Convention in San Diego. My bloggers panel is October 3rd. The two locations are about an hour apart. It will be a long week, but it appears I will be able to pull this off. I’ll just have to pretend to be spending extra time in the bathroom or something. This will be a first for me, as I have never attended two conferences simultaneously.
I’ve been traveling a great deal the last couple years, and thanks to speaking opportunities arising largely from my blog, the number of seminars and conferences I attend has greatly increased. I have been fortunate that schedule conflicts have been few, and I am even more fortunate that the close proximities in this case will enable me to fulfill obligations at two events in the same week.
If you are attending either event please do take the opportunity to introduce yourself. I always appreciate the opportunity to meet people with whom I have crossed paths “virtually”. Also, if you happen to be attending both events, perhaps we could carpool and share the cost of gas. You just won’t be able to use the bathroom excuse. If both of us do that, it would just look weird. Not to mention that is how ugly rumors get started.