*NASTT Officers

Letter from the 2007 Program Chair

Dear Trenchless Professionals:I would like to take this opportunity to personally invite you to join us for the 2007 No-Dig Show to be held in picturesque SanDiego, California from April 15-20, 2007. The Town & Country Resort and Convention Center provides an excellent “family-friendly” venue for this event with plenty of on-site activities for all ages. The conference theme, “Riding the Wave of Trenchless Technology” is fitting given not only this year’s location, but also the rise in popularity of adopting such methodsfor underground utility projects.

The Conference Program Committee has been working diligently to assemble a strong and informative technical program. We received a record 182 abstracts from which 112 were selected for presentation. In keeping with recent tradition, all of these papers will go through a rigorous peer-review process to ensure technical merit prior to publication in the conference proceedings. We are also pleased to have the National Telecommunications Damage Prevention Council (NTDPC) sponsoring a special session on “Underground Damage Prevention.” This is an important topic when dealing with trenchless projects. Due to San Diego’s close proximity to Mexico and its high Spanish-speaking population, the conference will offer a special Spanish-only course on “Introduction to Trenchless Technologies” taught by industry personnel. It is anticipated that this course will attract interested individuals from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. Also, a push has been made to attract international delegates from Asia given California’s proximity to the Pacific Rim.

The exhibit hall will feature 125-130 companies providing an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the various products, services, and trenchless equipment available to them. In an effort to provide outreach to other professional organizations involved in the utility industry, we cordially invite members of AEM, AWWA, AGA, WEF, AGC, NUCA, NTDPC, DCA,PCCA, PLCA, CGA, and NASSCO to be our guests at the exhibit hall. Additionally, I would like to personally invite all attendees to bring their families to the exhibit hall to gain exposure to exciting new developments in our growing industry.

The pre-conference festivities include the 8th Annual No-Dig Golf Classic at the River walk Golf Club. Riverwalk is located directly across the street from the conference venue and is a scenic course that will challenge even the most experienced golfer. I encourage you to bring your clubs and participate in this fun event.

We are also working toward bringing you a Gala Awards Dinner & Reception that promises to be a fun-filled and entertaining evening. This event provides an opportunity to dress up and enjoy the social aspects of catching up with old friends and making new ones. I promise some lively entertainment.

For those of you who would like to stay for a few extra days, we will be offering a number of post-conference courses including “Pipe Bursting Good Practices” and “CIPP Good Practices” presented by NASTT. NASSCO will be con-ducting an expanded version of the “Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP)” to include manholes and laterals. Additionally, the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) will be delivering a course on“Pressure Pipe Design.”

I encourage you to attend this 16th Annual No-Dig event and bring along the family for an excellent adventure in sunny, picturesque San Diego! Be sure to periodically visit www.nastt.org for updated conference information.

Warmest wishes,
Dr. Samuel T. Ariaratnam
Arizona State University
2007 No-Dig Show Program Chair