The Society of Fire Protection Engineers has lined up fire-protection experts from across the globe for its Annual Professional Development Conference and Exposition Oct. 12-17, in Charlotte, N.C.

Keynote speakers for this conference will include Kazunori Harada from Kyoto University, Japan who will discuss the development and spread of Japanese fire safety engineering in the past, present and future; Barbara Lane from Arup, United Kingdom who will discuss structures and fire: the role of the practicing fire professional; David A. Lucht, who retired from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, will discuss fixing the shortage in fire-protection engineer graduates; James A. Milke from the University of Maryland, who will discuss smoke management and state of the art and areas of improvement; Wayne D. Moore of Hughes Associates, who will discuss mass-notification systems, design challenges for the FPE; and Jon Nelson of Tetra Tech, who will discuss engineering licensure today and tomorrow.

"The keynote speakers for this year's event are some of the most authoritative and well respected names in the field of fire protection," said Chris Jelenewicz, engineering program manager at SFPE. "They will lead sessions along with dozens of other presentations that will make this a truly unique educational opportunity."

Included in this event will be an Engineering Technology Exposition that will be held on Oct. 14. Over 40 of the leading fire protection organizations will be exhibiting their products and services. This year's exposition will also include a series of exhibitor presentations that will feature state-of-the-art advancements in fire protection technology.

The event will also include four days of seminars in a wide range of fire protection engineering topics including forensic fire engineering analysis; introduction to fire dynamics simulator and smoke view; advanced fire dynamics simulator and smoke view; advanced fire alarm systems design session I and II; principles of fire protection engineering; smoke control session I, II and III; sprinkler design for the engineer; and dust explosion: hazard recognition, assessment and management.

"Whether you're an engineer, architect, fire marshal, code official, fire chief or engineering technician, this event will have something for you," said Jelenewicz. "It offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with leaders in the profession and with your peers."