The American Public Works Association (APWA) and Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) will gather in Boston next month for the International Public Works Congress & Exposition and WASTECON trade shows Aug. 14 —18.
This is the first time the two organizations have co-located, bringing their annual shows together under one roof. More than 8,000 infrastructure managers are expected to take advantage of the combined event, which offers 200 education sessions and access to 600 exhibitors, twice the usual numbers of either organization's trade show.
To add to the APWA's “Best Show in Public Works,” SWANA's 48th annual WASTECON offers technical sessions on landfill gas, waste-to-energy, recycling, and climate change (see sidebar and photo on page 46), and tours of local state-of-the-art facilities.
“Boston is an unbelievably fantastic city to host Congress,” says Boston native Robert Albee, managing director of tele-engineering for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. in Watertown, Mass., and APWA's president in 1998.
As one of the country's oldest and most historically rich cities, your colleagues in and around Boston are continuously improving assets to meet the needs of 579,073 residents and an estimated 18.3 million visitors each year. Since its founding in 1630, the city has been known for its advances in the public works sector.
In 1652, Boston incorporated the country's first waterworks for fire-fighting and domestic use. On Sept. 1, 1897, more than 100,000 people rode the nation's first subway system at Park Street Station. Since these first steps, public works operations have performed numerous projects to adapt to its people.
The city recently completed the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center where the convention is being held, implemented a state-of-the-art traffic system (see the sidebar on page 46 for tour details), and is creating 45 new parks. A number of other projects are on the drawing board.
In addition to stimulating discussions and exhibits, attendees will also get the chance to take in a city that houses several professional sports teams.
Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox take on the Los Angeles Angels Aug. 17, 18, and 19 at 7:10 p.m. If soccer's your sport, the New England Revolution challenge the Houston Dynamo Aug. 14 at 8 p.m. Should you decide to arrive early, the New England Patriots tackle the New Orleans Saints in a pre-season football game Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
The convention also coincides with Boston's 10th annual Restaurant Week. Throughout the week local restaurants will design three-course prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner and lighter two-course menus for lunch. You can enjoy two-course lunches for $15.10, three-course lunches for $20.10, and three-course dinners for $33.10. Prices are per person and exclude taxes and gratuity. Restaurant Week draws in big crowds, so be sure to make reservations early. Check www.bostonusa.com for a list of participating restaurants.
Web Extra
To access the full APWA Congress and SWANA WASTECON brochures, look for the “Web extra” click here.
