This is to let you know about 'Virtual Reality in Education & Training
'97', a major new international conference and trade show which will
take place on the Loughborough University campus in the UK, 23-25 June
1997. The event is a collaboration between VR NEWS and Loughborough
University - specifically Prof. Roy Kalawsky's Advanced VR Research
Centre in the Department of Human Sciences. As many of you will know,
Roy was formerly head of the Advanced Cockpit R&D group at British
Aerospace Military Aircraft Division, and is the author of 'The Science
and Engineering of Virtual Reality and Virtual Environments'.

We're currently assembling the program, and I would be interested to
hear from anyone who feels they have a contribution to make. The event
will include three one-day conferences, covering VR in Secondary
Education, VR in Higher Education, and VR in Commercial and Industrial
Training. There will also be workshops, a substantial two day trade
show, and demonstrations of the facilities of the Advanced VR Research
Centre.

VRET'97 will be the first event of its kind in the world, and I'm very
pleased to report that Prof. Veronica Pantelidis, Co-Director of the
Virtual Reality and Education Laboratory at the University of East
Carolina, has agreed to be actively involved in its planning and
execution. Prof. Pantelidis is widely regarded as the leading academic
researcher in this field.

The 'VR in Higher Education' stream is being sponsored by the UK agency
AGOCG (Advisory Group on Computer Graphics). Early indications are that
sponsorship will also be available to support a subsidised registration
fee for the 'VR in Secondary Education' stream. We are in discussion
with other prospective sponsors for the 'VR in Commercial and Industrial
Training' conference and workshops.

That's about it for now. I expect to have the program wrapped up by
early March, so now is a good time for prospective participants to get
in touch.