MEDIC FIRST AID International

Conference 2003: Breath of Fresh Air
Nov 13, 2003

MEDIC FIRST AID Conference 2003 wrapped up last month in Portland, Oregon and by all accounts, it was a stunning success. Words such as "excited," "energized," and "revved up" buzzed in the air as attendees spilled out of training classes and tracking sessions at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower. The MEDIC FIRST AID future, as one East Coast Master Trainer remarked, has never looked better.

The day one General Session started with a bang, as Bill Clendenen, president of MEDIC FIRST AID and Chris Bennett, its chief executive officer, mapped out the company's future. Their talk, "MEDIC FIRST AID: Past, Present, and Future," reached back to the company's early days, when co-founders Maryl Barker and Peder Heineman started Emergency Medical Planning with two ambitious goals in mind: quick and accurate response to medical emergencies and to help improve and save lives through education. As the company has grown, and the name changed, those are still the guiding principles.

Pointing to the future, Clendenen and Bennett emphasized the importance of brand recognition and consistency, as well as unity among MEDIC FIRST AID Training Programs in terms of methodology, style, and ease-of-use. They also got the crowd going when they unveiled several new and forthcoming products and programs. Among them were

First Aid Topics Videos
Training Centers
MEDIC OneSource concept
and MEDIC University, the online learning center set to launch early next year.

As a light drizzle misted the air outside, the day finished in grand style in the hotel ballroom. The evening reception featured a sampler of Northwest seafood, a carving station, and a three-table dessert bar that buckled more than a few knees in the room. The dinner was a great chance to reconnect with old friends while forging new relationships. Presentation of the Founders Award and awards to 20-year Facilitators, as well as a few rousing, and funny, speeches, capped off the evening.

In what may have been the highlight of a conference filled with highlights, Katherine West, the Conference 2003 keynote speaker, addressed the Friday morning General Session. Going well over her one-hour scheduled time, West, a leading expert in infection control, covered a range of exposure control plans, situational OSHA education and training requirements, and numerous other subjects that opened some eyes among the faithful in the crowd.