Business leaders, academics, and government officials, among others, will gather in Washington, DC, on Thursday, October 3, 2013, for the annual U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day (WSD). The event, focused on the theme of Standards for a World at Work and Play, will look at how standards bring confidence to businesses, governments, and consumers, impacting reliability from farm to table, manufacturer to retailer, and workplace to home. Standards facilitate technological innovations and foster evolving social and environmental compliance practices that increase the health and safety of the world and its citizens. They are the foundation upon which developing nations build their economies and compete in the global market. Developed by collaborative bodies that act as forums for the public and private sectors to come together for a common good, standards evolve to meet the changing needs of a world at work and play.
This year, WSD will begin with a reception and exhibition at The Fairmont Washington (2401 M Street, NW). The event will include dinner and the presentation of the 2013 Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award, which was named after the late U.S. secretary of commerce and honors an individual who has shown dedication to the promotion of standards as an essential tool in the removal of barriers to global trade. The 2013 recipient of the award is Catherine (Kitty) H. Pilarz, senior director of product safety for Mattel/Fisher-Price, who is being honored for her outstanding contributions to the development, promulgation, and use of standards bolstering the safety of toys played with by millions of children.
First celebrated in 1970, World Standards Day is now recognized by nations all over the world. Each year, U.S. World Standards Day activities are organized by a planning committee made up of individuals from across the standards and conformity assessment community. The event is co-chaired each year by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Toy Industry Association (TIA) will serve as the administrating organization for this year's event.
For more information or to register, please visit www.wsd-us.org. Attendees must register by Friday, September 20, 2013, to attend the celebration.