The annual ASLA Expo always has a lot to offer: great speakers, fantastic tours, demonstrations, and informative education sessions. But this year is bound to be something different, given the city, New Orleans, and the time of year, Halloween. Each expo registrant undoubtedly gets a shiver of anticipation like a child on Christmas Eve just thinking about the exploration and cultural immersion that awaits in New Orleans come October 30?EUR??,,????'???November 3. It goes to show that the ASLA had a sense of adventure when planning this year?EUR??,,????'???s ?EUR??,,????'??Fusion of Culture and Place.?EUR??,,????'??

An energetic and festive atmosphere will undoubtedly stir up the expo, along with the keynote speakers: Dr. Richard Jackson, MPH, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC?EUR??,,????'???s) National Center for Environmental Health; business analyst Joel Kotkin; Steve Thomas of PBS?EUR??,,????'???s ?EUR??,,????'??This Old House?EUR??,,????'??; and political consultant James Carville.

Dr. Richard Jackson will address Friday?EUR??,,????'???s general session on environmental health issues in the context of design landscapes. Dr. Jackson will relate how what we design and build affects our health and behavior. His convictions are based on his work as a pediatrician, epidemiologist, and as CDC director. His work has focused on such environmental health issues as cancer, radiation, asthma, lead poisoning in children, birth defects, toxicology, and pesticides.

Also speaking at Friday?EUR??,,????'???s general session is Joel Kotkin, an internationally recognized authority on economic, political and social trends. He is the author of The New Geography, and Tribes: How Race, Religion and Identity Determine Success In the New Global Economy. He writes a monthly column, ?EUR??,,????'??Grass-Roots Business?EUR??,,????'?? in the Sunday New York Times, columns in the Los Angeles Business Journal, ReisReports.com, and contributions to the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Forbes ASAP. He is also a contributing editor to the Opinion section of the Los Angeles Times, and was the West Coast editor for Inc. Magazine.

In the tradition of providing a different, yet relative perspective to landscape architecture, ASLA presents Steve Thomas of the television show ?EUR??,,????'??This Old House?EUR??,,????'?? as the Saturday general session keynote speaker. Thomas?EUR??,,????'??? experience ranges from renovation of historic buildings to sailing. He is the author of This Old House Kitchens, This Old House Bathrooms, and Homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s Manual. His unique experiences will provide landscape architects with an alternative view of their work.

Sunday?EUR??,,????'???s speaker is the boisterous author, speaker, television co-host, political advisor James Carville, who has a knack of helping underdog political candidates succeed. Carville has advised senators, mayors, governors, foreign ministers, and presidents. Carville has written numerous books, including: We?EUR??,,????'???re Right, They?EUR??,,????'???re Wrong: A Handbook for Spirited Progressives; And the Horse He Rode In On: The People vs. Kenneth Starr; Stickin?EUR??,,????'???; and Buck Up,Suck Up ... and Come Back When You Foul Up. Carville is now a co-host with Paul Begala on CNN?EUR??,,????'???s ?EUR??,,????'??Crossfire.?EUR??,,????'??

The ASLA meeting and expo is also studded with 51 educational sessions, 20 mini-shops, and 11 different tours. From canoeing the Atchafalaya to designing aquatic play areas, the events cover a huge range of topics and activities, supplying visitors with lots of opportunities to pick up a few new skills, or learn about a new profession.

For More Information

• Educational Sessions

• Exhibitors/Booth Numbers (PDF)

• Convention Center Layout / Visit LASN! (PDF)