This will be my first report as the OES Vice President for Conference Development (VPCD). But first I must state how proud I am to take the baton from Joe Vadus, who held this position for the last four years. Joe and I have worked together on conferences in one fashion or another for 25 years and I thank him for his hard work and continued mentoring …. Thanks Joe.
     One of my first goals as VPCD was to reorganize the Reconnaissance Committee (RECON) to meet the present and future goals of the IEEE/OES. We not only organize the OCEANS conference twice a year now, but we are also conducting many workshops and symposia around the world. Last April we held a symposium in Buenos Aires and are now preparing for the IEEE/OES Baltic 2010 International Symposium scheduled for 25–27 August in Riga, Latvia. And, we have the Underwater Technology 2011 symposium scheduled for next April in Tokyo. With such international efforts ongoing, I have received approval to establish the RECON Subcommittee for International Symposia and Workshops in Emerging Nations. As shown in the following RECON Organization chart, Joe Vadus has agreed to continue his critical work helping to create, fund and organize these important events. Sandy Williams will back Joe up as Vice-Chair and Jim Barbara and Jerry Carroll will continue to provide their excellent support to the subcommittee.

OES and MTS RECON representatives meeting with the OCEANS 2012 MTS/IEEE Yeosu Local Organizing Committee in Yeosu, Korea.

    I will continue to chair the OCEANS RECON Committee as I have in the past. As shown in the chart, we have key representatives in the Asia/Pacific and European areas, along with a group of conference experts who will continue to support the OCEANS conference planning. Overall, the RECON Committee has been tightened up, essentially concentrating on the North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific regions. Previous subdivisions in North America were eliminated as being unnecessary when considering the experience of the RECON committee members and the efficiency and cost of today’s air travel. I thank all those who have supported the RECON committee in the past, and, when necessary, we’ll draw upon that talent pool in the future.

Foyer of the elegant Grand Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, proposed location for the OCEANS 2014 Taiwan gala banquet.	Andrea Caiti, Chair of the OCEANS 2015 Genoa Local Organizing Committee describes a potential reception location in the Genoa harbor to RECON representatives John Flory (MTS) and Jim Barbera (OES).

    So, what has RECON accomplished so far this year? Besides coordinating future OCEANS events with the VP for Conference Operations and the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board (JOAB), we’ve made three successful site visits to Yeosu, Korea; Taipei, Taiwan; and Genoa, Italy.
    In March, OES representatives Jerry Carroll, Jim Barbera, and I were joined by MTS RECON representative Karin Lynn, for meetings in Korea regarding the OCEANS 2012 conference. The meetings were held in Yeosu, the site for OCEANS 2012, with representatives of the local organizing committee (LOC) and the professional conference organizer (PCO). The successful meeting resulted in the clarification of several issues critical to the success of the conference.
    The second leg of this trip was to Taipei, Taiwan, where the RECON team was joined by Harumi Sugimatsu from Tokyo, Japan. The purpose of the trip was to determine the acceptability of the location for the OCEANS 2014 conference. Professor Jenhwa Guo, National Taiwan University, organized the tours and escorted the entourage during the site visit, which highlighted the excellent conference facilities, hotels and local ambiance
    The third and final site visit to Genoa, Italy, was completed in June. Rene Garello, Jim Barbera and I were joined by MTS RECON representative John Flory, during the visit, to assess the acceptability of Genoa for the OCEANS 2015 conference. Andrea Caiti, University of Pisa, organized the visit and was joined by other LOC members and the PCO. The beauty of the old port city was accented by a redeveloped waterfront where hotels, Maritime Museum, Aquarium and the convention center are conveniently located.
    Trip reports on the RECON site visits are available for those interested by contacting me directly at Wernli@ieee.org. Following the successful site visits by RECON, representatives from Taiwan (OCEANS 2014) and Genoa (OCEANS 2015) will seek final approval for their respective OCEANS conferences during the ADCOM meeting at the OCEANS 2010 conference in Seattle. They will be joined by representatives from St. John’s, Newfoundland; MTS and OES RECON representatives vetted the St. John’s location for the OCEANS 2014 conference during meetings at the Offshore Technology Conference earlier this year.
    So far, the year has been very busy, but just as productive. Our planning for future conferences is on track and we welcome the recent participation by MTS during the site visits. This new era of cooperation between the societies will hopefully evolve into co-sponsorship of all future OCEANS conferences. For those interested in hosting a future workshop, symposium or conference, please contact one of the RECON members directly or visit the OES website for guidance. See you all in Seattle.