11 (or walker) who loves the thought of raising their heart rate while watching the sunrise over a beautiful river. The After Hours Dance Party at the Fillmore Philadelphia, though, deliberately skews young. The Fillmore is a converted, former metal factory on the Delaware River waterfront that most Philadelphians know as a concert venue. But meeting planners also know it as a fun, offbeat site for business events whose organizers want their gatherings to have an urban, funky feel. “We love hosting convention parties here,” says Gretchen McHale, director of sales for Live Nation, which runs the venue. “We’re built for large crowds and I like showing people that meetings and conventions can be rock-and-roll. I want everyone to leave the event feeling like, ‘wow, that was a really great convention, because they threw us an awesome party at this really cool venue.’ I want their experience to be memorable, because I love Philly — and I want other people to love Philly, too.” As the week progresses, you can feel the shift in the convention center, as attendees become more familiar with the layout of the building, as well as the rhythm and pace of the conference. They no longer ask for directions to get to a plenary, or look confused about where to power up their cell phones. They now know the fastest walk from their hotel to the convention center. Are in love with the wonder that is Reading Terminal Market. Make beelines for a chair massage in the Wellness Zone after a long presentation. Sink gratefully into cushions for guided meditation in the Zen Den. And, daily, they gather at the tables on the “Networking” side of the exhibit hall, where — over the boxed lunches distributed with friendly efficiency — discuss presentations that are piquing their excitement. “I like looking at people’s study results and thinking, ‘Hmm, I have similar data — I wonder if I can replicate the study?’ because replication is really important,” says Beth Planalp, a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “If the study can’t be replicated, then, well, it wasn’t a strong finding, right? But if other people are replicating it — and they’re in Sweden, and Spain, and Nigeria and Australia - you know there’s something here. The finding is robust. It’s inspiring to see these results coming from all over the world. I wouldn’t necessarily find all of these online. But here, they’re all in one place.” Olumayowa Ogunraonbi has been heavily networking at the conference alongside her colleagues from The African Dementia Consortium, a group of researchers who study dementia in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa. From the reaction to the consortium’s presentations and posters, says Ogunraonbi, a researcher and Project Manager at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, “It’s obvious some people are not even clear that there’s a dementia consortium in Africa. This gave them a chance to learn something really new and important. They were enthusiastic that under-represented groups are becoming represented. It increases the whole global understanding of Alzheimer’s and dementia.” By now, many attendees have also gone off on their own to explore the city beyond the convention area. They’ve tried the restaurants, wandered the shops, pedaled a rented Indego bike along the Schuylkill River’s recreational path, visited the Liberty Bell and other historic landmarks. German researcher Johanne Stumpel is absolutely enchanted by Philadelphia. This is her first time in the city and she says she’s taken by its “lightness and friendliness.” She hails from charming, quaint little Cologne — “which is nice, it’s pretty, and green,” she says, “but Philadelphia just feels so wide open!” She had her photo taken during the 5K Rocky Run, to share with her mother back home, and she hopes to return to Philly soon with her partner, to take in more of its quaint streets, inventive cuisine and incredible arts and culture.
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