Heinlein Centennial

The Heinlein Centennial Convention was held in Kansas City from July 6 through July 8, 2007, coincident with the 100th anniversary of Robert A. Heinlein's birth in Butler, Missouri on July 7, 1907. The guests of honor were Robert and Virginia Heinlein, in absentia and deceased. The keynote speakers were:

Michael D. Griffin, administrator of NASA
Brian Binnie, pilot of SpaceShipOne on its X-Prize-winning flight
Peter Diamandis, founder of the X-Prize
Jeff Greason, CEO of XCOR Aerospace
Patricia G. Smith, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation within the Federal Aviation Administration

Many notable science fiction authors were also in attendance, including Spider and Jeanne Robinson, David Gerrold, Frederik Pohl, and John Scalzi.
The event was held in the adjoining Crown Center Hyatt Regency and Westin hotels, which are linked by a Habitrail-like transparent pedestrian tube called "The Link".