[ FALL 2008 ]

The world's largest educational meeting dedicated to vascular therapy, Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics, returned to the Washington Convention Center in October 2008, where some 13,000 participants gathered for the most up-to-date news of this hugely dynamic medical specialty. Hi-Tech Electric's usual gold standard of excellence was in evidence throughout the event, powering complex large-scale video and lighting displays ranging from informational graphics to live satellite transmissions of medical procedures.

Tennis star Martina Navratilova, KISS singer Gene Simmons, baseball hero Cal Ripken, singer Natalie Cole, and television icon Regis Philbin were just a few of the over-50 celebrities headlining the AARP's annual meeting, which drew more than 25,000 attendees to the Washington Convention Center in September 2008. Hi-Tech Electric deftly handled a wide range of electrical and truss services, including world-quality musical concerts featuring Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.

[ SUMMER 2008 ]

Presidential candidates John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were among the many top U.S. political leaders who spoke this June at the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee's annual policy conference in the nation's capital. It was the prestigious event's largest year ever, as more than 7,000 activists, students and scholars from all 50 states gathered at the Washington Convention Center. Hi-Tech Electric fulfilled the power needs of a full schedule of onstage events, including Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert's address to a gala banquet with half the U.S. Congress in attendance.

Fifteen thousand attendees came to the American Psychiatric Association's 2008 annual meeting at the Washington Convention Center in April, where key topics included military mental health and psychiatric-related insurance issues. Hi-Tech Electric was proud to provide exhibitor services to one of the nation's oldest, largest and most well-respected medical professional organizations.

[ SPRING 2008 ]

With 800 exhibit booths and acres of indoor landscaping, the Washington Home & Garden Show is the largest such event on the East Coast. From construction companies to lumber liquidators to the National Wildlife Federation, the exhibitors represented a vast array of industries and display needs. Hi-Tech Electric coordinated plumbing as well as electrical services for installations ranging from indoor waterfalls to complete house-utility mockups.

The tenth annual Food Safety Summit Conference and Exposition arrived at the Washington Convention Center in March 2008, bringing more than 200 exhibitors ranging from food suppliers, processors and retailers to government, military, and educational institutions. Hi-Tech's full spectrum of electrical and plumbing services kept things humming on the display floor, where attendees perused the latest technologies in bacterial testing, bioterrorism prevention, and more.

[ WINTER 2008 ]

Legendary basketball star Curly Neil of the Harlem Globetrotters and Washington Redskins star Antwaan Randle El were just two of the special guests at the 2008 Washington Auto Show the week of Jan. 23-27. More than 400 cars were on display from 42 American and international manufacturers, and Hi-Tech Electric provided its acclaimed top-notch service to run the cutting-edge exhibits across 750,000 square feet of floor space.

The NBC-4 Health and Fitness Expo saw some 72,000 attendees show up at the Washington Convention Center in January 2008 to watch cooking and exercise demonstrations, try out the special indoor soccer field, and more. Hi-Tech Electric provided power services for a wide array of exhibitors, from fitness equipment manufacturers to health food producers.

[ FALL 2007 ]

In its 20th anniversary year, the Washington Craft Show in December kicked things off with a premiere evening concert starring the Levine Jazz Quintet. In addition to powering the special events, Hi-Tech Electric made sure that the exhibitors -- some of whom were artists whose actual work is built with lighting elements -- were able to conjure all the gorgeous visuals their displays required.

PBS's chief technology officer, John McCoskey, and Col. Ricky Sims of the Soldiers Media Center keynoted the 10th annual Government Video & Technology Expo in November. The cutting-edge show floor was filled to the brim with the most advanced new video, audio, multimedia, and telecom technologies from the likes of Apple, Avid, and Sony. Hi-Tech Electric was proud to handle an usually complicated electrical plan with the company's usual gold standard of service.

October 2007 saw the Washington Convention Center filled with some 20,000 of the nation's active soldiers, National Guard, and Reserves -- as well as retirees, family members, and civilians -- for the Association of the U.S. Army's annual meeting and exhibition. VIPs were on hand ranging from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to Chief of Staff Gen. William Casey. Hi-Tech Electric's team of electricians and support staff filled the diverse power needs of hundreds of exhibits showcasing massively powerful Army hardware.

[ SUMMER 2007 ]

It's among the most important annual events for professionals in the event business : TS2, the convention for the tradeshow exhibiting community (photo from Exhibit City News). This year's show, which opened July 26 at the Washington Convention Center, featured the debut of the "Premiere Zone," a section of the showfloor dedicated to featuring the newest tradeshow products, services and technology available on the market. Tradeshow Week reported that nearly 40 such debuts were spotlighted at the event, which drew nearly 3,000 attendees.

June saw the Washington Convention Center filled with the largest conference in the history of the American Library Association. Nearly 29,000 librarians and exhibitors filled the center's exhibit floor and meeting rooms for a week-long extravaganza featuring such a broad spectrum of authors as Garrison Keillor, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Julie Andrews. According to the Washington, D.C. Tourism Bureau, the ALA conference generated more than $15.6 million in revenue for the local economy. Hi-Tech Electric provided its usual gold standard of service, supporting hundreds of exhibits that required the full range of electrical needs.