2018 WEDA Eastern Chapter Annual Meeting

Tuesday - ICHDMG Meeting & WEDA Icebreaker Reception

Wednesday - WEDA Chapter Meeting & Port Tour

Thursday - WEDA Chapter Meeting (cont'd.) & Dredging 101 Short Course

The WEDA Eastern Chapter Board is pleased to announce that this year's annual meeting will take place on October 16-18 in Savannah, GA.  All meetings will be held at The Desoto Hotel conveniently located downtown in the heart of the Historic District, just steps away from Savannah's celebrated squares, art museums, cafes, restaurants, the city's largest green space Forsyth Park, and the Savannah River.  It is only 14 miles from Savannah International Airport.

Tuesday will begin with an Industry-Corps Hopper Dredge Management Group (ICHDMG) Meeting from 9am - 4pm for all USACE representatives and hopper-owning dredging companies. The WEDA Eastern Chapter Meeting will officially kick-off with an icebreaker reception later Tuesday evening from 6:30-9:30pm at The Chatham Club situated on the top floor of The Desoto Hotel. Jacket encouraged / tie optional.

Presentations will run from 9am-noon on Wednesday and will be followed by a USACE NAD/SAD Informational "Speed-dating" Luncheon (noon-1:30pm), which was well-received last year in Providence.  To round out the day we are collaborating with Georgia Ports Authority to plan a tour of the Port of Savannah for all delegates from approximately 2:00-5:00pm.

On Thursday presentations will resume at 9am and conclude at noon.  New to the program, a Dredging 101 Short Course will run from 1:00-5:00pm for an additional $25 fee.

WEDA's group block at The Desoto covers Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights and includes the government per diem rate of $117/night for government attendees and $189/night for non-government attendees. The deadline for government bookings is Friday, August 31, and the deadline for industry bookings is Monday, September 24. Please call Desoto Reservations at (844) 257-3520 and ask for the Western Dredging Association Eastern Chapter rate (if non-gov) or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rate (if gov). Or you can book online (if you are non-gov) by visiting www.thedesotosavannah.com and entering the Group Code: WED. Individual reservations cancelled within 72 hours prior to arrival will be charged one night's room and tax charges.

The registration fee structure is as follows: $250 WEDA Member, $350 Non-WEDA Member, $150 Government Attendee, and free for students.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Michael Gerhardt directly, if interested.

We look forward to seeing you in Savannah for another great chapter meeting!