I have just returned from the 2009 Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference in San Antonio, TX. The entire conference was fantastic, with some great talks and discussion panels. I met a lot of new people and reconnected with friends, and I even have a couple of new research ideas.

The hotel we stayed at was fantastic – a four-diamond hotel at the government rate, and it was right on the Riverwalk.

Speaking of the Riverwalk, this was a large walking area right on the river filled with shops, restaurants, and a big mall. It was a really convenient way to get around.

The conference was good, but we were overshadowed by a bigger, apparently more important conference called GeoInt. How could I tell we were less important? Well, look at the welcome that GeoInt received versus the welcome given to HFES.

As mentioned before, I met lots of new people, specifically at the Navy, but I also reconnected with friends. There was a big George Mason University alumni dinner on Wednesday night, featuring at least 30 people. I was one of the first ones there!

San Antonio itself is beautiful, with real Texas landscaping and a wonderful cave only 30 minutes away that was fun to explore.

And, of course, you could not go to San Antonio without seeing the Alamo.

Alas, the conference came to an end, and I flew back to Rhode Island. The Providence airport has little booths for advertisements from local businesses, and NUWC had something up! A little reminder of work.

All in all, it was a fantastic conference, and I hope to go again next year.