Around 120 participants are expected tomorrow (March 19) when CQUniversity Gladstone hosts a Conference on Asset and Maintenance Management, including technical sessions* presented by national and international experts.

This conference will also include a panel discussion on challenges and issues confronting industry. It will conclude with a networking session.

Conference Chair, Associate Professor Gopi Chattopadhyay said those attending will include presenters, delegates, representatives of professional bodies, sponsors and committee members.

"This includes international delegates from Indian Institute of Technology as well as participants from Swinburne Uni, Griffith Uni, QUT, GHD, QAL, NRG, Rio, Transfield Services, Thiess Services, Diversified Mining Services, Bechtel, Flour, Aurecongroup; WorleyParsons,  Engineers Australia, Maintenance Engineering Society of Australia (AMC), RKF Engineering Services, QMI Solutions Ltd; Ausblast Protective Coatings; Gladstone Ports Corporation; BSL, Queensland Rail and many others. The response is very exciting," he said.

Dr Chattopadhyay said businesses, industries and public organisations are under constant pressure to extract the maximum performance and value from their assets.

"There are continual improvements being made in the area of asset management, in management decision making, and maintenance management," Dr Chattopadhyay said.

"This conference aims to showcase some of the latest developments in this field to bring practitioners up to date with these areas and show how CQUniversity Australia can help provide solutions to asset management and maintenance problems."

For details/registration contact Joanne Simper (j.simper@cqu.edu.au, 07 4970 7336) or visit http://seh-postgrad.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?page=11552

Among the speakers are NRG Gladstone Power Station GM Glenn Schumacher, Swinburne Uni Associate Dean Professor Ajay Kapoor, Indian Institute of Technology's Professor Pradip K. Ray, Fluor's Brisbane-based Performance Technology Manager Steve Berquist and Engineering Consultant to Standards Australia Stan Ambrose, who is an authority on pressure vessel safety.

* Technical sessions are planned on:

• Power plant asset management
• Rail asset management
• PAS55
• Quantitative techniques for assessing risks and performance improvement,
• Asset Management Information Systems
• Pressure vessel risk management and
• Design safety related to asset management and maintenance.