Coming to the Windy City for WEFTEC? Get All the Information You Need Here

Water professionals explore the exhibit floor at WEFTEC 2012. Photo courtesy of Oscar Einzig Photography.

Thousands of water and wastewater professionals will journey to WEFTEC^® 2013, the world’s largest water show, Oct. 5 to 9 in Chicago. The 86th Annual Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Technical Exhibition and Conference features 144 technical sessions, 24 hands-on workshops, and 10 facility tours. The technical exhibition offers more than ever before, with 24 technical sessions held on the exhibit floor, 12 mobile sessions, and nearly 1000 exhibiting companies on more than 27,800 m² (300,000 ft²) of exhibit space, which is equivalent to nearly seven football fields.

Register and attend

Register online through the end of the conference. For additional registration and general conference information, see

Water professionals register for WEFTEC 2012. Photo courtesy of Oscar Einzig Photography.

• registration packages,
• why attend,
• FAQs,
• exhibitor registration,
• how to register,
• policies,
• registration hours, and
• contact us.

Click to see the mobile app.

Plan your schedule by reading the 2013 WEFTEC Conference Announcement or finding events online by focus area. Create your schedule with WEF’s new WEFTEC 2013 mobile app. To learn how to make the most of the app, see instructions and a how-to video.

Also, learn more about all Chicago and WEFTEC have to offer by watching the WEFTEC Returns to Chicago video.

Educational benefits

Educational opportunities at WEFTEC go beyond listening to lectures including these mobile sessions that travel the exhibit floor. Photo courtesy of Oscar Einzig Photography.

WEF offers WEFTEC attendees the ability to earn educational credits onsite. These include up to 1.2 Continuing Education Units at workshops, 16.5 Professional Development Hours at technical sessions, and up to 8 contact hours per day for time spent visiting the exhibition. To earn credits, attendees must scan WEFTEC badges when entering and exiting the exhibit hall, workshop, or technical session. Attendees are responsible for ensuring that WEFTEC credits are accepted by local certification and licensing agencies.

Anyone can take these learning opportunities home with them through WEFTEC On Demand. Watch live WEFTEC sessions from computers by purchasing WEFTEC On Demand for $30 for WEF members and $45 for nonmembers.

Kevin Carroll will deliver the keynote address for the WEFTEC 2013 Opening General Session. Photo courtesy of Kevin Carroll, Washington Speakers Bureau (Alexandria, Va.).

Teams compete in five events during Operations Challenge at WEFTEC. Photo courtesy of Kieffer Photography.

Featured events

• For the WEFTEC 2013 Service Project, “Reading, Writing, and Rain Gardens,” volunteers on Oct. 5 will build a rain garden at John C. Haines Elementary School. Read more about other Students and Young Professionals events at WEFTEC.
• The Opening General Session, scheduled for 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, features keynote speaker Kevin Carroll.
• The Innovation Showcase will feature the Innovation Pavilion at Booth 775, educational sessions, networking events, and exhibits.
• The inaugural Stormwater Congress will be co-located with WEFTEC 2013 on Oct. 5 to 9 and feature stormwater programming. It also will feature the Stormwater Pavilion at Booth 5217, which will feature stormwater-specific exhibits.
• During Technical Session 100, The Future of Cities and Water: Insights From Great Water Cities, top water leaders from around the world will discuss innovative water communities on Oct. 7 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
• Operations Challenge^TM will take place Oct. 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Oct. 8 from 9:15 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WEF Plaza

This year, attendees will find the WEF bookstore, global center, learning lounge, honors and awards display, and apps and e-learning information in one central location: the WEF Plaza. The plaza, located on the Grand Concourse, will be open daily Oct. 5 to 9 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bookstore events

Find this stuffed croc in the bookstore at WEFTEC for a chance to win Kindle Paperwhite and a WEF e-book.

In the WEF Plaza, the bookstore will sell the latest WEF publications, training guides, WEF wear, and WATER’S WORTH IT™ merchandise. The bookstore also will host a $500 wastewater trivia challenge, coffee-hour events, and “Spot the Croc” competition:

• Form a team of 1 to 4 players to compete in the $500 Wastewater Trivia Challenge from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the learning lounge. Teams will answer questions from such categories as nutrient removal, process modeling, stormwater, sewer systems, and popular culture. The winning team will receive a $500 gift certificate to spend at the WEF bookstore. All WEFTEC attendees are invited to participate, and refreshments will be provided. The event is sponsored by the WEF bookstore, WEF Press, and McGraw–Hill Education (New York).
• Enjoy a cup of Starbucks coffee while browsing the latest water and wastewater publication each morning from 8 to 9 a.m. Complimentary coffee will be provided by WEF Press and McGraw–Hill Education.
• Find Niles the Crocodile in the bookstore and be entered in a daily drawing for a Kindle Paperwhite and the WEF e-book of your choice. Drawings will be held at 12:30 p.m., Oct. 7 to 9, and you do not have to be present to win. Niles will have a new hiding place after each drawing, so come in every day and Spot the Croc for your chance to win.
  

August WEFTEC 2013 Preview in WE&T

• “WEFTEC 2013: Same quality, new perspectives”
• “WEFTEC offers a bounty of hands-on learning opportunities for operators”
• “Meet Cordell Samuels, WEF president 2012–2013”
• “WEFTEC welcomes a new variety of water professional”

September WEFTEC 2012 Preview in WE&T

• “Stepping out from behind the podium”
• “One-stop shop for all things WEF: WEF Plaza centralizes services and information”
• “Putting the bounce in WEFTEC: Keynote speaker will share how imagination and innovation can help those in the water industry play ball”
• “Sharing ideas and know-how: WEFTEC 2013 will feature three select speakers from the wastewater treatment field”
• “Building a new team with a vision of education, experience, and networking: Nevada Operations Challenge competitors experience camaraderie that crosses local and regional boundaries”

WEFTEC 2013 Articles in WEF Highlights

• “WEFTEC Opening General Session Speaker Chosen To Inspire”
• “WEF Needs You To Leave Some Green in Chicago”
• “Prepare for WEFTEC by Browsing the Conference Announcement and Mobile App”
• “WEFTEC 2013 Speaker John Novak Discusses Biological Wastewater Treatment”
• “WEFTEC 2013 Speaker Sue Murphy Discusses Innovative Water Communities”