Creighton University

      - For more information and details about the meeting, please see the program.

     GPACA 2010 will take place Friday October 8th and Saturday October 9th, 2010.  The conference will be co-hosted by Dr. Greg Perry at Creighton Univeristy and by Dr. Charles Kuszynski at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).  The conference will be held in the new Durham Research Center II building on the UNMC campus.  Vendor displays and posters will be located in the atrium, while keynote and workshop sessions will be held in the adjacent meeting rooms.

     There is NO REGISTRATION FEE for GPACA 2010.  However we are asking participants to register for the meeting to help us plan for attendance and food.   The registration form can be found HERE.

     Saturday morning we will break out into workshops for Core Managers and Clinical Cytometry.  The Core Managers workshop will be moderated by Dr. Greg Perry and Dr. Charles Kuszynski and will address issues of biosafety and sorting, and will provide a review of the discussions at the recent ISAC Core Managers Workshop in Seattle.  The Clinical Cytometry workshop will be moderated by Cynthia Page, MT(ASCP)QCYM and will address clinical applications, CAP surveys and assay validation.

     Currently we have 16 vendors scheduled to participate in the meeting.  Many of these have indicated they will be bringing instruments and/or equpiment.  Eight vendors have been scheduled to give short (10-15 minute) talks late Friday afternoon.  These talks are intended to be scientific in nature, highlighting the use of each vendor's equipment and/or reagents in scientific research.

     FloCyte Associates is organizing a regional training program to coincide with the GPACA meeting in October.  The training course, titled "Compensation and Multiparameter Strategies" will be presented the day before the GPACA meeting on Thursday October 7^th.  Dr. Tim Bushnell from FloCyte and the Cytometry Core Facility at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY will be leading the course.

     Tuition for the course is $250, but those individuals also attending the GPACA meeting will receive a 10% discount ($225).  This is less than the cost of a single vial of many antibodies!!  Sign up soon, as the tuition increases by $50 if you sign up after October 1^st.

     If you or a colleague is interested in participating  you can sign up at the FloCyte website (www.FloCyte.org) or contact Susan DeMaggio at FloCyte for more information (949-725-3754).

     One of the highlights of the conference each of the past 2 years has been the optional Friday night social mixer.  In both 2008 and 2009 the mixer has been a tail-gate party and Kansas City Royals baseball game.  It's always been a fun event, allowing people from different labs who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to socialize to get to know one another better.  And it allows us to meet outside of the lab setting.
     As Omaha doesn't have a major league baseball team, we thought it might be fun to attend a college hockey game.  It's a fast paced sport with lots of contact (but no fighting in college hockey) and few obvious rules.  We think those of you who haven't ever attended a college hockey game will find it enjoyable.
     We have been able to get reduced price tickets ($12 per person) to the game.  Unfortunately this is not a free event.  Please let Dr. Perry know if you plan to attend before October 1st, 2010 so that he can get the tickets in advance.  In addition, if you're bringing the family to Omaha they are welcome to go to the game too.  Just let Dr. Perry know you need extra tickets!

     Information about hotels, restaurants and Omaha area activities and attractions can be found by clicking here or on the link at the left.