August 2011, Vol. 66 No. 8
Newsline
Silicon Valley Hosts WESTT No-Dig
The 7th Annual Western Regional No-Dig Conference & Exhibition to be held Oct. 3-4, at the Wyndham Hotel in San Jose, CA.
The Western Society for Trenchless Technology (WESTT) is sponsoring the conference, which provides the latest information in trenchless technology from experts in the field through an informative technical program and product exhibit area. Industry sponsors, to date, include Underground Construction magazine, TT Technologies and Prime Coatings Inc.
As the largest city in the Californian valley, San Jose’s location within the booming local technology industry earned the city its nickname, Capital of Silicon Valley. The San Jose/Silicon Valley area is a major component of the greater San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.5 million people and the sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States.
For local municipalities, contractors, manufacturers and consultants, San Jose is an ideal location for the conference, according to Jennifer Glynn, WESTT board of director member, RMC Water and Environment. In addition to the city’s Sanitary Sewer Capital Improvement Program, which includes the condition-assessment, planning, design and construction management of the city’s 2,200 miles of sewers, Glynn points out that “San Jose is central to all of the local municipalities in the Bay Area and there are many trenchless projects currently going on there. Travel is also convenient by car from the nearby Central Valley, Sacramento and Central California or attendees can fly from Southern California, Nevada and Arizona with ease.”
Glynn says that conference organizers are expecting another strong turnout for this year’s event, equal to last year’s attendance of more than 100 people. “Although the economy has been struggling, trenchless design and construction has continued to thrive in Northern California,” she adds.
Benefits
The two-day event will qualify attendees to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), issued through Arizona State University, during the eight hours of instruction. The courses are designed for public officials, engineers, utility company personnel and contractors who are involved with constructing, rehabilitating and managing underground utilities. Attendees will have the benefit of hearing about trenchless technology from industry experts who will be presenting peer reviewed technical papers on a wide range of topics that include pipe bursting, structural water main rehabilitation, on-grade installation of sanitary sewers, leak and gas detection, microtunnel jacking, HDD crossing, pipe ramming and much more.
The technical sessions and training courses are unique in that sales pitches are not allowed in any of the presentations. Speakers will present case histories and projects that are beneficial to the industry as a whole.
“Attendees get the benefits of the NASTT No-Dig National Conference on a smaller scale in a local forum,” says Glynn. “WESTT speakers, who also presented at the national conference, will be presenting technical, quality peer-reviewed papers. Attendees will also have access to the latest technologies through our exhibit area, as well as receive full conference proceedings from the national conference.”
In addition to the presentations and the 20 sponsored exhibits, conference goers will meet face-to-face with industry leaders in a fun and relaxed atmosphere at several networking opportunities.
“Attendees can network during breakfast and registration each morning, during session breaks with sponsored refreshment in our exhibit area and during the luncheon,” says Glynn. “We will also be hosting a cocktail reception on the first evening of the conference.”
Register early
Register by Sept. 3 to take advantage of the lower rate of just $275 for members and $325 for non-members. Registrants will receive two days of presentations, CEU credits, the NASTT No-Dig 2011 CD Proceedings, in addition to sponsored breakfasts, luncheons and refreshments. The rates increase to $325 for members and $375 for non-members after Sept. 3. Non-member registration includes one-year membership in NASTT and WESTT for 2012.
The venue at the Wyndham San Jose features recently renovated guest rooms and suites, a new outdoor pool area and a revamped exercise room. Guests also will enjoy free airport transportation to/from the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport.
For hotel reservations at the Wyndham San Jose, call (408) 453-6200. To receive discounted room rates, mention the “WESTT Conference” for a $119 single/double occupancy room. Room rates are guaranteed until Sept. 3, so book early to save.
For program questions, contact Sam Ariaratnam (480) 965-7399 or Jennifer Glynn (925) 627-4151. For general conference registration questions, contact Glynn or Kate Wallin (916) 294-0095. Or visit the conference web site at www.nastt.org/westt for conference details and to register online.
Established in 2004 as a non-profit organization, WESTT includes Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Hawaii. WESTT is a regional chapter of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT), which is affiliated with the International Society for Trenchless Technology.
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