Nov. 6- 7: Expanded Valve Basics Education Program Set to Take Place in New Orleans The Valve Manufacturers Association developed this course to help industry newcomers The education seminar offers in-depth sessions on valve, actuator and control fundamentals November event has been expanded to two full days Hands-on learning is featured during the “Valve Petting Zoo” (Oct. 8, 2013—Washington, DC) The Valve Manufacturing Association (VMA)’s next Valves & Actuators 101 course is scheduled for Nov. 6-7, 2013 at Harrah’s of New Orleans. In response to the popularity of the course, VMA expanded the program from one-and-a-half to two full days. Originally created specifically for newcomers to the industry, the event has received such rave reviews that it has become popular among a much larger group. The seminar brings together employees and supervisors of the plants that use valves, actuators and controls with distributors and sales reps who want to better understand the products they sell. Personnel from valve manufacturing companies are in the classroom with staff that specify and purchase valves and related equipment. They learn together with engineers in the early phase of their careers, as well as advanced-level mechanical engineering students (whose attendance is sponsored by VMA’s educational foundation, the Friends of the Crawford Library, Inc.). The Valves & Actuators 101 course consists of lessons that guide attendees through the world of valves and the systems they help control, starting with simplest types of valves and moving into the more complicated automated products, including actuators and controls. The course has been expanded to two full days, with the addition of two new lessons—solenoids and limit switches, and positioners and accessories. VMA’s in-depth valve education program is designed to attract and train current and future valve employees. Today, the program contains creative components such as Valve Basics in a Box, a “Valve Petting Zoo” and an online Valves & Actuators 101 training course to promote valve literacy and career interest. The popular “Valve Petting Zoo” is a unique hands-on experience that enables participants to “touch and feel” examples of the many products discussed during the course. Attendees are led in small groups around to tables where valves, actuators and controls are displayed. At each station, an industry expert is on hand to answer specific questions about the products and further explain how they work. A tabletop exhibition provides attendees with time between education sessions to learn what is offered by valve, actuator and control manufacturers, suppliers to the valve industry, and valve repair and service firms. The cost to attend is $700 for the first person from a company and $670 for each subsequent registration from the same company. Those who complete the course receive a certificate from the Valve Manufacturers Association, indicating they have earned 12 hours of continuing education. Breakfast, lunch, beverage breaks and a reception, as well as a comprehensive reference manual and CD, are also included. For more information or to register, go to http://www.vma.org/?ValveBasics. Contact Judy Tibbs, VMA director of education (jtibbs@vma.org) or Abby Brown, VMA education & training coordinator (abrown@vma.org), if you have additional questions. # # # ABOUT VMA: Founded in 1938, the Washington, DC-based Valve Manufacturers Association of America exclusively represents nearly 100 U.S. and Canadian manufacturers of valves, actuators and controls, which account for about 80% of total industrial valve shipments. VMA members’ products are used in a wide variety of industries, including power generation, water & wastewater, oil & gas, chemical processing and refining, industrial and commercial HVAC systems, pulp & paper, mining and more. For more information, visit www.VMA.org. VMA also publishes VALVE Magazine.