The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) is busy preparing for its biggest event of the year, and it may turn out to be the Society’s most-attended event in its 106-year history. Organizers say registration is on a record-setting pace for ASSE’s Safety 2017 Professional Development Conference & Exposition in Denver.

The 56th annual event at the Colorado Convention Center will bring together safety professionals from 40 countries who will learn about a wide range of best practices, industry trends and the latest product innovations in the occupational safety and health field. The largest attendance to date occurred at Safety 2011 in Chicago, which attracted 4,535 participants during ASSE’s 100th anniversary celebration.

More than six weeks from Safety 2017 held June 19-22, current registrations are already at 4,238. Several hundred safety professionals are still expected to sign up, which would boost attendance to a level never before seen at the global safety conference.

“The Colorado Convention Center is a great venue, and we’re definitely trending higher in registrations than we’ve ever experienced with past conferences,” said Dan McNeill, ASSE’s director of professional development who is leading the planning efforts. “We were also in Denver in 2012, and this year without question will be bigger and better.”

Among the many activities on the agenda is a spirited plenary session to be held town hall-style. Some of the most recognizable names in safety will focus on the popular yet controversial topic of behavior-based safety in order to understand the human side of safety performance improvement in a time of political transition and de-regulation. A highly anticipated executive summit will feature senior executives from influential companies discussing the importance of workplace safety and how safety professionals can overcome obstacles to be most effective.

“Our sessions are more relevant than ever, and we’re really focused on what matters to safety professionals, such as the new OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces Rule,” McNeill said. “Attendees will have a great experience and learn a lot at this year’s event. We’re also on track for a record-breaking expo, so it’s really an exciting time to be involved in occupational safety and health.”

The number of Safety 2017 exhibitors has grown to 608, quickly approaching the event record of 615. ASSE expects the total number of exhibitors at the exposition to surpass 625 when all is said and done.

Get a flavor of the dynamic week and see everything the conference has to offer in the event brochure that can be downloaded from the Safety 2017 web page at http://safety.asse.org/.

According to a survey of safety professionals who attended ASSE’s Safety 2016 Professional Development Conference & Exposition in Atlanta, more than 80 percent identified new companies with which to do business. Survey results also showed that 96 percent of attendees would recommend the annual conference to a colleague.

About ASSE – Working together for a safer, stronger future

For more than 100 years, the American Society of Safety Engineers has been at the forefront of helping occupational safety and health professionals protect people and property. The nonprofit society is based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge. Its global membership of over 37,000 professionals covers every industry, developing safety and health management plans that prevent deaths, injuries and illnesses. ASSE advances its members and the safety profession through education, advocacy, standards development and a professional community. Its flagship publication, Professional Safety, is a longtime leader in the field. Visit www.asse.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.