ALMA, the International Loudspeaker Association, has announced its upcoming Winter Symposium program, “The Future of Loudspeakers.”
The symposium will be held in Las Vegas on January 13 and 14 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. (It begins on the last day of the CES show in Vegas.)
The largest event held in the world dedicated to the loudspeaker industry, the symposium will feature training courses covering various aspects of loudspeaker modeling, test and measurement and manufacturing. In addition, there will be technical paper presentations, tutorial sessions, round table and panel discussions, an exhibit hall showcasing suppliers to the industry and plenty of networking opportunities.
Dr. Floyd Toole will present a full-day training session “Loudspeakers and Rooms: Designing Listening Experiences,” based on his recently-published book “Sound Reproduction.” The session explores loudspeaker and in-room measurements and their interpretation in terms of listener perception.
Half-day sessions include “Active Noise Cancellation – Special Considerations for Loudspeakers and Microphones” by Mike Klasco of Menlo Scientific, and “Cone Vibration and Sound Radiation” by Dr. Wolfgang Klippel.
A panel of experts will address the topic of Neodymium: Coping with the Consequences of Supply and Demand Elasticity. Panel chairman Spiro Iraclianos of Harman International will continue this discussion, which began at the International AES.
The use of Neodymium Iron Boron magnets has been increasing over the last few decades to address the demands of compact high energy motor applications. Loudspeakers have been adapting the “super magnets” to delicately balance the size/performance ratio demands in today’s marketplace.
In recent months, the availability of Neodymium has been shrinking while the cost of the magnets, which use the rare earth element, has skyrocketed. The workshop will serve as a forum for industry professionals, from all aspects of the value chain, to gather and collectively discuss and begin to address the facts and myths surrounding the global issue which has caused significant paradigm shifts in the way we think about the future of the industry.
The ALMA Winter Symposium will also overlap and parallel The International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE), presented by the IEEE Consumer Electronics Society, which will take place January 13-16 at the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (an easy commute to the Riviera).
The ALMA Board of Directors, in consideration of the program theme relating to the future of loudspeakers, have committed to facilitating opportunities for knowledge-sharing by paralleling the two programs and moving to this new location. ICCE is where key technologies, products, services and architectures for consumer entertainment and information delivery are first presented. (See www.icce.org for more information.)
The ALMA Winter Symposium attracts visitors and attendees from around the world, and is a great opportunity for manufacturers of components, materials, test equipment and services to the industry to exhibit the latest products to the industry. It is also a great opportunity for loudspeaker OEMs to meet with senior engineers and decision-makers from U.S. loudspeaker companies who will be attending the show.
ALMA is happy to issue invitations to exhibitors and visitors from overseas to assist attendees with obtaining a visa.
Hotel rooms are blocked at the Riviera under ALMA International from January 13-16, 2012.
For more information on exhibiting and to register, go to www.almainternational.org
