LEFT: Todd Westbrook (right) with DIT-MCO International speaks to an attendee inside the exhibit hall. BELOW: Don Hubbard with Genesys Aerosystems addresses the audience during an AEA training session. CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS Continued from page 57 at the AEA Convention - as well as other education opportunities the AEA offers - are accepted for credit toward the AEA's Avionics Training Excellence Award and the FAA's aviation maintenance technician awards. They also can count toward the FAA's inspector authorization renewal. Added up, more than 75 hours of regulatory, technical and business management training and professional development sessions were offered to attendees. With all that going on, the AEA Convention is a no-brainer for the avionics technician who wants to improve his or her skills and knowledge, or the manager looking for information on the latest business practices. 58 avionics news * june 2018 Networking Earlier, I noted that the many educational and training sessions, plus the exhibit hall and the social events at the 2018 AEA Convention, offered outstanding professional networking opportunities. That's a recurring theme at these and other AEA events. And one that is difficult to overstate. That's not an accident. The AEA long ago figured out the formula for successful conventions and other events: Make attendees feel welcomed and comfortable. Encourage conversations and discussions on a wide range of topics, and offer a schedule of events fostering them. Build in wide exhibit floor aisles plus free coffee and lunch, thanks to sponsoring companies - along with plenty of places to sit or mix and mingle - and the end result is tailor-made for meeting new people.