4th Annual OWPI Conference and Tradeshow Is a Success
Despite the unfortunate circumstances of Larry Vansickle's recent death, the 4th Annual OWPI Conference and Tradeshow was well received by both attendees and the vendors who exhibited. Approximately 250 people attended the Conference and almost everyone expressed satisfaction with both the educational sessions and the exhibits.
A new addition to the agenda this year was a ½ day workshop on "The Design and Installation of Large (Community) Drip Disposal Systems." This was held on Monday afternoon and preceded the reception in the exhibit hall. The primary speaker was Francois vanderSpuy of Geoflow, Inc. ; However, Francois enlisted the help of David Morgan of Delta Environmental Products and Tom Ashton of American Manufacturing, who were in attendance and have many years of experience with drip disposal systems.
Senator Deanna Demuzio was the Keynote Speaker and addressed the concerns that everyone has regarding proposed regulation changes. This was also a topic of considerable interest during the panel discussion on Wednesday. The "Demo" sessions were also well attended by those interested in constructing raised filter beds, as well as learning more about proper backhoe maintenance. And, as usual, everyone enjoyed the opportunity to get together on Tuesday evening for the reception at Porters.
The dates for next year's Conference is January 28-30, 2008; and, again will be held at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville. The Conference planning committee is starting to plan the agenda for next year and welcomes any suggestions people might have for either topics or speakers. Your suggestions can be forwarded to calvinlocker@sbcglobal.net. We hope that the 5th Annual Conference and Tradeshow will be the best ever. We look forward to seeing you there.
