Attending WEFTEC 2012? Get All the Information You Need Here

September 17, 2012

Featured, Learning Opps, Participate, WEF Resources & Efforts

Join thousands of water and wastewater professionals at WEFTEC^® 2012, the largest water show in the world, to be held Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. The 85th Annual Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Technical Exhibition and Conference provides the opportunity to network; learn about new technologies, research, and products; and earn Continuing Education Units and Professional Development Hours.

This year’s conference features 149 sessions, 24 workshops, more than 1000 presentations and posters, 6 facility tours, and more than 900 exhibitors.

Register and attend

Click image to see digital conference announcement

Read the digital Conference Announcement for more information about the numerous educational opportunities available at the conference, then use My WEFTEC Planner to create a personalized schedule that you can print, save, or access using mobile devices or any E-Services kiosk at the conference.

Learn more about all New Orleans and WEFTEC have to offer by watching this video: New Orleans Welcomes You!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGZZJ1eFrY

Jim Carroll will deliver the keynote speech at WEFTEC 2012. Photo courtesy of R. Kelly Clipperton. Click for larger image.

Stay up to date with events and highlights of the conference through social media. Stop by the WEF Bookstore to pick up conference proceedings, WEF gear — including shirts and fleeces — public outreach materials, and Manuals of Practice and other publications, and to attend the Beat the Drop contest and book discussions.

Opening General Session

Don’t miss the Opening General Session, Oct. 1, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. This year’s keynote speaker is the author, columnist, media commentator, and consultant Jim Carroll. He will discuss innovation and transformation strategy and provide tools and tips on how to achieve success through significant, transformative change.

Exhibit Hall Special Events

WEFTEC 2011 attendees explore the exhibit hall. Photo courtesy of Oscar Einzig Photography. Click for larger image.

WEF continues to make the exhibition a focal point of WEFTEC. In addition to a full slate of technical sessions presented on the exhibit floor, three mobile sessions taking attendees to visit several exhibitors, and dedicated time to visit exhibitors on Oct. 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the exhibition boasts some new features:

Innovation Showcase: Throughout the conference, innovation will be a key focus area. The hub for innovation will be the Innovation Pavilion in Hall C, Booth No. 1957. It will feature presentations from WEF Innovative Technology Award winners and Operator Ingenuity Contest winners. It also contains exhibits from Imagine H2O (San Francisco) finalists and winners, as well as winners of the 2012 BlueTech Forum Showcase.
Stormwater Pavilion: Stormwater treatment products and services will be featured in more than 929 m² (10,000 ft²)of exhibit space in Hall E.
Photo Booths: Professional photo booths in the exhibition will be offering complimentary head and shoulders photos to use for online profiles. Photo booths will be located at Booth Nos. 1362 and 8248, Oct. 1 to 3.
Learning Lounge: Stop by the WEF Learning Lounge to hear presentations and participate in hands-on demos of the latest technology and social media platforms being used at WEF.

Work For Water Resources at WEFTEC and Beyond

WEF is focusing on both attracting new professionals to and training professionals in the water quality industry. WEF will host many meetings at WEFTEC 2012 in New Orleans to discuss working for water.

The featured “Work for Water” session will discuss ways WEF and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working with nontraditional government agencies, such as the U.S. departments of Labor and Veterans Affairs, to increase awareness of jobs in water and demonstrate how skills from typical apprentice jobs and military experience can transfer to the water sector. The session will be held Oct. 3, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the Innovation Pavilion, Hall C, Booth No. 1957.

Panelists include representatives from WEF, EPA, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The session also will showcase WorkforWater.org, a job search website created by WEF and the American Water Works Association (Denver).

Other workforce-related events include

Workshop 111 — “Maximizing the Value of IT To Achieve EUM Goals”;
Workshop 212 — “We Have To Pay For What?! Creative Utility Funding and Financing Strategies”;
Featured Session 15 — “Water Entrepreneurship: Funding Through Strategic Partners”;
Technical Session 4 — “Building a Better Mousetrap: Organizational and Process Improvements for Utilities”;
Technical Session 24 — “Cutting Edge in the Workplace”;
Technical Session 69 — “Checkmate! Using Strategic Planning Principles To Improve Organizations”;
Technical Session 93 — “Operator Training From a Trainer’s Perspective”;
Technical Session 94 — “Creating a Sustainable Organization: Eliminating Organizational Culture and Demographic Barriers”;
Technical Session 117 — “Asset Management”; and
Technical Session 122 — “Humanitarian Engineering: Improving the Quality of Life for Communities on the Blue Planet.”

Learn more about jobs in the water sector by reading the EPA document “A Selection of Training Programs: For Water and Wastewater Treatment Operators.”

And catch up on WEF’s efforts by reading the following Highlights and WE&T articles:

Students and Young Professionals

The 2010 Bioswales in the Bayou project site is shown as it appeared in early 2012. Photo courtesy of Haley Falconer, Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) Students and Young Professionals Committee Service Project chair.

The 2010 Bioswales in the Bayou WEFTEC service project site is shown as it appeared in early 2012. Photo courtesy of Haley Falconer, Students and Young Professionals Committee Service Project chair. Click for larger image.

WEF’s Student and Young Professionals Committee (SYPC) will host several events during WEFTEC 2012.

The conference kicks off with the SYPC-sponsored WEFTEC service project “Bogging in the Big Easy,” in which volunteers will help construct a wetland area in the host city.

Also, don’t miss the student design competition, to be held Sept. 30 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tim Vadney, Seacoast Sewer Snakes team captain, operates the hoist during the Wilo Maintenance Event. Photo courtesy of Kieffer Photography. Click for larger image.

Operations Challenge

Where: New Orleans Morial Convention Center, Hall B1
When: Oct. 2, 9:15 a.m.–5 p.m.
Awards Ceremony: Oct. 2, 6–8 p.m. in the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Grand Ballroom