Meeting News - January 5, 2009 - (Page 34)

Destination Insider: Memphis By Terri Hardin terri.hardin@nielsen.com A Bioscience Mecca Incubates Conferences Gatherings include idea-exchanges & annual conventions in Elvis’ backyard Long known as an innovator in the Mid-South in industries as diverse as music, insurance, and food retail, Memphis is also a leader in the biotech industry. Renowned health facilities like the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as the headquarters for medical device makers Smith & Nephew’s orthopedics division and Medtronic Sofamor Danek’s spinal and biologics division, have created a biotech corridor in the Delta. “Memphis is one of the leaders in the medical devices industry,” said Dr. Steven J. Bares, executive director of Memphis Bioworks Foundation. In October, the foundation participated in the sixth annual Musculoskeletal New Ventures Conference, which brought approximately 200 medical professionals and medical-device startup companies to Memphis. “This conference provides a forum for exchanging ideas between surgeons, venture capitalists, industry leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs, which will promote industry growth—to the benefit of everyone suffering from musculoskeletal conditions.” Memphis Bioworks also created the AgBioworks initiative (in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture), which held “Planting Seeds for the Future: The West Tennessee Alternative Crops Conference”at the Fogel- This Duck’s for Hire The Peabody Memphis is the home of the original Peabody ducks, whose forebears were set in the waters of the hotel’s lobby fountain by some mischievous huntsman back in the 1930s. Through the years, these raucous avians have taken on importance: They have become the The mallard mansion at the Peabody emblem of the Peabody Hotel Group (which has properties in Little Rock, AR, and Orlando), live in a luxury penthouse, and have their own “Duckmaster” who leads them on a red-carpet walk from their rooftop abode, down the elevator, and into the fountain each morning (and back each evening) amid fanfare and camera flashes. What might not be as well known is that, like many celebrities, the Peabody ducks are available for personal appearances. Said Kelly Earnest, spokesperson for the Peabody Memphis: “Since the hotel will be hosting the Historic Hotels of America conference next year, we took the ducks to this year’s conference as a promotion. They were a big hit—everybody loved them.” The ducks recently moved into their digs atop the Peabody; the former gingerbread-style manse has given way to a $200,000, 288-sf modern duck palace that features a 24-foot glass viewing panel, ceiling fans, overhead lighting, ventilation and drainage systems, and a sloped metal roof. Inside, five off-duty mallards can amuse themselves with a swimming fountain decked with a bronze duck water feature, an elevated sun deck, and a replica of the Peabody in which they can chill out or sleep. man Executive Conference Center & Hotel on the campus of the University of Memphis in November. “We are connecting growers, processors, and end-users in a new way,” said Peter Nelson, AgBioworks’ director.“Our goal is to build an economic development strategy that leverages all the inherent advantages of the Mid-South.” In February, the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities will have its annual meeting at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. ABRF is an international society comprised of nearly 1,000 scientists working in resource and research biotechnology laboratories. Part of its program will be in tandem with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which conducts research in gene therapy, bone marrow transplantation, chemotherapy, the biochemistry of normal and cancerous cells, radiation treatment, blood diseases, resistance to therapy, hereditary diseases, influenza, pediatric AIDS, and psychological effects of catastrophic illnesses. Through a recent expansion, St. Jude now boasts the nation’s only pediatric research center with an on-site facility for production of highly specialized treatments and vaccines, a larger department of immunology, and a new department of chemical biology and therapeutics for discovery of new drugs—which represents a great opportunity for research scientists. After hours, medical conference attendees are just as likely to sample Memphis’ other facilities. Memphis Bioworks spokesperson Tom Duarte said of the new-ventures conference: “Attendees participated in a ‘Musculoskeletal Mixer’ at the Westin Beale Street the day before the conference. They also participated in the ‘Rockin’ Reception’ held at the Rock N Soul Museum, and they were able to see attractions on their own, such as the Stax Museum, the National Civil Rights Museum, and Beale Street.” In March, the 10th biennial AWWA Membrane Technology Conference and Exposition co-sponsored by the American Water Works Association and the American Membrane Technology Association will have a tour and networking reception at Graceland, as well as a tour of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in the city. H www.meetingnews.com 34 MeetingNews January 5, 2009 http://www.meetingnews.com

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