Welcome to SEPA/WAC 2018! It has been a long few years since I put in my bid to host this conference. What was I thinking? As the time runs down, I can’t help but wonder: Did I start early enough and what did I forget that will jump up and bite me during the conference? I am sure that many of you, who HAVE hosted before, know what I mean. I knew it would be a challenge, but at this point, “come what may.” One of my first tasks was to choose a theme. In order to accomplish this task, I set out to explore and distill the essence of what makes us as “planetarians” most effective in our work of science interpretation. I have always come away from conferences feeling recharged. I feel like I can attack the job with renewed energy. Why is that? Is it from the information exchanged? Yes, but I can read information. Due to some pressing deadline or other, I admit that there are lots of journals that I have not read cover to cover or even at all. There must to be some other factor that makes a conference so effective. There’s definitely something to be said for the face-to-face engagements afforded at a conference. There is an added quality here compared with the day-to-day interactions we all have from strangers, friends, coworkers and family. Due to our common work conditions we have similar goals and experiences. That surely leads to the community of sharing we create whenever we meet like this. We share our successes with pride and our failures in hope of finding better ways around problems. Still there is one more thing without which would render our meeting like this pointless. Sure, the science we talk about is important. It matters little if we have the latest and best imaging technology. It is that something that inspires our audiences at home. I have a theory about that: How our visitors feel about the experience is what ultimately determines whether they will return or not. We all love what we do and exploring the beauty and mysteries of the universe is our passion. We express that passion through sharing it with others. When we tap into that basic emotion and share it with others, our visitors cannot help but feel it too. So, I welcome you all to the Pink Palace Museum and the AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium. I am confident that through Sharing Our Passion we will all have a successful, memorable, and productive experience. Dave Maness, Supervisor AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium Pink Palace Museum
3
