Gearing up for its sixth annual conference, StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition, continues to grow in terms of both its program and attendance. This year’s event, presented by Forester Communications, will take place at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Aug. 20 to 23. It will feature nearly 200 speakers from 30 states and five countries.
“We expect StormCon to have more attendees than last year and we’ve planned for it, with larger session rooms and a more flexible program,” said Laura Funkhouser, marketing manager for Forester Communications.
New tracks
In addition to Best Management Practices (BMPs), Stormwater Program Management, Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring, and Research and Testing of BMPs, two new educational tracks will cover hot topics in the industry. Low-Impact Development, Smart Growth, and Green Infrastructure will include 24 presentations, and Construction BMPs will include 15 presentations.
“These are both areas of exploding interest in the storm water industry,” Funkhouser said.
EPA Q&A
StormCon ’07 will also feature an update on developments in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) storm water programs. The EPA News Update and Q&A Session with Nikos Singelis, senior program analyst with EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management, will take place on Thursday, Aug. 23.
“There is no other place I know of where the U.S. government at the highest level is more transparent and accessible than at this event,” Funkhouser said. “People are thrilled to talk directly to the source, knowing that Nikos takes suggestions and concerns back to headquarters and acts on them. He openly acknowledges that NPDES [National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System] Phase II is a work in progress, and his department has refined the program—and people at StormCon have played a role in that process.”
Networking
The Opening Gala Reception on Tuesday, Aug. 21 and luncheons on Aug. 21 and Wednesday, Aug. 22 provide an opportunity for attendees to catch up with colleagues and connect with new people in the industry.
“While the conference continues to grow, these events make StormCon a friendly community gathering,” Funkhouser said.
For more details about the event, visit www.stormcon.com.
