The Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), an independent trade association affiliated with the Material Handling Industry (MHI), will host a one-day overhead crane safety-themed conference at next year’s MODEX show, which takes place 9-12 April 2018 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. Every two years MODEX, hosted by MHI, welcomes manufacturing and supply chain professionals, who peruse the exhibits of over 800 equipment suppliers and participate in co-located seminars about relevant technologies and future-proofing businesses in the sector. However, CMAA’s Material Handling Safety Conference is revolutionary in that it will offer a whole day of world-class content on a vertical marketplace, while boasting 7 professional development hour (PDH) credits. The conference, which will focus primarily on overhead crane safety technology and practices, will be held on the third day of the show—Wednesday 11 April—and is targeted at plant operations and maintenance staff, including managers, engineers, and crane technicians. Conference emcee Frank Petrek, group vice president at Xtek Inc., a CMAA member company, said: “We hope to welcome as many as 200 delegates from a variety of backgrounds, including those who are associated with membership of the group; regular MODEX attendees; others who’ve found a new requirement to visit the show; and crane professionals who will be drawn by the conference and will take an opportunity to walk the aisles on the day before or after the event.” The conference will deliver information about technology and share experiences from leading crane manufacturers, crane component suppliers, and engineering consultants, all centered on the safe and reliable operation of electric overhead traveling (EOT) cranes. Delegates will be welcome from 7:30 a.m., when a continental breakfast will be available before an 8:00 a.m. keynote. Papers titled, ‘Actual Safety Events and Root Cause Segregation’, ‘OSHA Regulations and CMAA Collaboration’, and ‘Training for Crane Operators’ will all follow, even before the morning break. Four additional papers will be delivered prior to lunch, including a session on crane inspection regulations, taken by a leading industry consultant. After lunch, which is included in the delegate price, presentations cover, among other things, collision avoidance, below-the-hook devices, controls and fall protection. The conference concludes at 4:30 p.m. following a 30-minute Q&A session, where delegates can address any of the presenters or expand upon the issues of the day. The MODEX show floor is open until 5:00 p.m. The Material Handling Safety Conference is priced at $525. Each attendee will receive a certificate listing the quantity of 7 PDH credits earned, although the event is not approved for PDH credit in New York, Florida, North Carolina or Oklahoma.