All articles tagged with #conferences
NASA is withdrawing support for key planetary science and space station research conferences, including the ISS Research and Development Conference and the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, due to budget constraints and strategic shifts, raising concerns about the future of community-led scientific events.
NASA's Science Mission Directorate has decided not to provide financial support for upcoming Lunar, Planetary, and Space Sciences Conferences, opting instead for a partnership approach where NASA participates as a collaborator without funding, and conference costs are covered by other partners.
The nine Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame have agreed on a six-year deal to continue the College Football Playoff through 2031, establishing a revenue-sharing plan and allowing for a media rights agreement. The playoff is set to expand this season from four teams to 12, with the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven at-large selections making up the field. The agreement guarantees at least a 12-team field and five conferences having annual access to the playoff through 2031, with the possibility of the number of teams growing to 14. The revenue-sharing plan allocates more than 50% of the distributed CFP revenue to the SEC and Big Ten, with Notre Dame, ACC, and Big 12 schools receiving about 30% combined, and Group of Five conferences receiving the rest.
All nine FBS conferences and Notre Dame have agreed to a new College Football Playoff contract starting in 2026, likely featuring a 14-team field with guarantees for conference champions. The Big Ten and SEC will have significant control over the format, with financial distributions favoring these conferences and Notre Dame. The deal also includes a new TV contract with ESPN, with the Group of 5 facing challenges in negotiations. The CFP will unveil a 12-team format for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with ongoing discussions about the 14-team playoff format.
The College Football Playoff Management Committee is considering expanding the playoff to 14 teams and introducing multiple automatic qualifiers for conferences in the 2026 season and beyond. The Big Ten and SEC are at the forefront of these discussions, with potential changes also including expanding the field to 16 teams. While no concrete decisions have been made, there is urgency for an agreement as it will impact the media rights contract and revenue distribution.
The fall season is packed with exciting conferences and events in the tech, entertainment, and automotive industries. Some notable events include Apple's iPhone 15 launch event on September 12th, Vox Media's Code event on September 26th, the Detroit Auto Show from September 13th to 24th, Amazon's Devices and Service Event on September 20th, and Microsoft's Special Event on September 21st. Other events to look out for include Code 2023, Meta Connect 2023, Made by Google, and the Samsung Developer Conference. Stay tuned for more updates on upcoming events.
As college athletics undergoes another season of change, with teams moving to and from conferences, it's interesting to note the longest-tenured teams in the original conferences. In the Pac-12, California and Washington have been together the longest. In the SEC, 10 teams have been competing since its founding over 90 years ago. Kansas is the lone Big 12 team that has been in the conference for over 100 years. And in the Big Ten, seven original members have been in the conference for over 125 years.
Two major tech companies, Red Hat and Meta, have canceled their conferences at the San Francisco Moscone Center in 2024, adding to the challenges faced by the city's convention industry. The San Francisco Travel Association projects that 2024 will be a particularly difficult year for conventions, estimating only 60% of the average attendance. The cancellations are seen as a result of ongoing issues in the city, including safety concerns and cleanliness on the streets. However, there is optimism for future growth, with steady increases projected from 2028 onwards.
Menopause is a phase of life that has been misunderstood and underserved by the medical establishment. As a result, many entrepreneurs, including actress Naomi Watts, are capitalizing on the opportunity to sell products and services to menopausal women. This includes creams, supplements, and conferences like "The New Pause," which aims to help women navigate the confusing labyrinth of medical advice around things like hormone replacement therapy. While the conference did address some serious health and medical issues, there are certainly better, more equitable (and affordable) ways to jump-start and sustain conversations about menopause.