Putting on one of the largest scientific meetings in the world is no trivial feat. It occupies the society's staff for most of the year. Thanks to SfN's Debra Speert for rounding up the numbers that illustrate some of the logistical challenges:
Attendance (as of noon Nov 18)
31,640 total attendance
9,016 international attendees
73 countries represented
577 exhibiting organizations
The poster floor
15,555 abstracts
110,000 push pins are ordered for the poster sessions--enough to fill a 55 gallon drum.
Mass Transit (as of noon Nov 17)
14,100 miles: Distance traveled by shuttle buses between hotels and the convention center. This is more than the round-trip distance between DC and Tianjin, China.
Catering (as of noon Nov. 17)
400 Dozen Cookies Baked
335 Dozen Muffins Baked
2515 Gallons of Coffee Brewed
1 Ton of Fruit Cubed
2750 potatoes turned into fries
--Greg Miller
