Bridge to a Brighter Future: CWA Annual Meeting Also Features Tours, Education, and Awards Dinner
April, 2004
(Buffalo Grove, IL) Time is getting short for members and friends of Construction Writers Association to register for CWA's three-day meeting in Washington, D.C., April 28-30, 2004. April 19, 2004 is the date after which registrants will incur a $25 late fee. Those planning to attend should make reservations immediately for this valuable opportunity to connect to the industry, learn from experts, and network with peers.
CWA's excellent Annual Meeting program featuring construction-related topics will be supplemented with two interesting tours, our dynamic Fundamentals of Construction Journalism educational session, and a gala dinner featuring presentations of CWA Awards.
Wednesday: Tour and Reception
The CWA meeting starts at 2:30 pm on Wednesday afternoon with a tour to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project. The tour will be followed at 6:30 pm by a welcome reception at the National Building Museum. Our tour bus will leave Hotel Washington, 15th & F Street NW, shortly after 2:30 pm and return to the hotel by 6 pm. After stopping at the hotel, the tour bus will proceed to the National Building Museum, 4th & F St, NW. If you go to the National Building Museum on your own, you can take the Metro to the Judiciary Square Station (Red Line). Use the G St. entrance to the building; the reception is on the second floor. The tour is sponsored by Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc., American Bridge Company, and Trumbull Corp. The reception will be hosted by the tour sponsors and the American Society of Civil Engineers. The reception will conclude by 8 pm.
Thursday: Education, Tour, and Awards Dinner
Attendees will update their skills by attending CWA's education session, Fundamentals of Construction Journalism, scheduled for 7:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the National Press Club, 14th & F St, NW. Topics include:
- Fundamentals of Speechwriting to be presented by Ed Rehfeld, a professional speechwriter and manager of communications for the Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust.
- Copyright, Libel, and Plagiarism Issues for Construction Journalists is presented by Jeremy Pomeroy, senior counsel for Reed Business Information
- A panel discussion, Fostering the Freelance/Client Relationship, to be moderated by Jenni Grover Prokopy, principal of Orange Grove Media. Panelists will include freelancer and newsletter editor David Wood, publicist and magazine editor Marge O'Connor of TMC Resources, and Julie Gasper, editor of Kieways for Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc.
On Thursday afternoon participants will tour the construction site of the new underground U. S. Capitol Visitors' Center. Alan Hantman, Architect of the Capitol, and Tom Fontana from the Architect's office will offer a brief overview of the project prior to the start of the tour. Tour sponsor Centex Construction Company will provide box lunches to those on hand at the end of the morning's education session the Press Club. Our group will meet Tom Fontana outside the Capitol on Constitution Avenue where Delaware Avenue comes in on the north side of the building at 12:50 pm. Fontana will escort us inside the Capitol to HC-6, a conference room, for an overview of the project. The tour concludes with a one-hour walking tour. There's no charge, but reservations are required as there is limited capacity for this tour. Note: We will not be able to accommodate late-comers as we are required to have a pre-arranged escort.
CWA's board of directors will also meet Thursday afternoon from 3 to 5 pm at the National Press Club, 14th & F St, NW. Observers are welcome.
Always a highlight of CWA's annual meeting, the CWA Awards Dinner is scheduled for Thursday evening at the City Club at Columbia Square, 13th & F St, NW. CWA awards include the association's highest honor, the Silver Hard Hat, which may be given for service to the construction industry and/or service to the association. The 2004 CWA Journalism Awards will be presented for the 29th year, and the 2004 CWA Photojournalism Awards will be presented for the first time. The Awards Dinner is sponsored by CIT Equipment Financing. The reception is at 6 pm and dinner is at 7 pm.
Friday: Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Members will keep current on the state of the construction industry by attending CWA's Annual Meeting program, scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday at the National Press Club, 14th & F St NW. Following continental breakfast and the briefest of business meetings, attendees will hear:
- Keynote speaker Albert J Bertini, PE, of the Iraq Reconstruction Program Management for the US Army Corps of Engineers, who will discuss Reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Ethics in Construction Journalism, a panel moderated by Don Marsh, editor of Concrete Products magazine. Panelists will include Tom Temin, editor of Government Computer News; Jan Tuchman, editor in chief of ENR; and Edward Soule, assistant professor at Georgetown University's Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business. Temin is involved with the Code of Ethics of American Business Media. Soule teaches courses on managerial moral responsibility in business. Tuchman is a past president of CWA and Marsh will be elected president of CWA at the 2004 meeting.
- Construction Industry Educational Outreach Initiatives, another panel discussion, will be led by Jack Roberts, senior editor of Equipment World, and current CWA president. Panelists will include Mike Traficante, director of governmental affairs, New England Laborers' Health and Safety Fund; John Woodman, executive director of the ACE Mentor Program; and Jane Howell, director of communications of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
- Representatives of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association and the Associated General Contractors of America have been invited to present Economic Projections for Construction and Updates on Transportation Legislation.
- Michael Sherman with the National Capital Planning Commission will make the luncheon presentation, covering Urban Design Issues and Related Technologies. CWA's program should conclude by 2 pm.
Hotel Reservations
CWA has a room block at the Hotel Washington, located at 515 15th St NW (15th between F St. and Pennsylvania Ave.) Our cut-off date is long past, but there are always cancellations so it may be worth a call; ask for the CWA rate of $165 per night. Call the Hotel Washington toll free at 800-424-9540 or 202-638-5900 and use your credit card.
Meeting Locations
Wednesday tour of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project: tour bus will pick up participants at the Hotel Washington, 15th & F St NW.
Wednesday evening opening reception at National Building Museum, 401 F St NW
Thursday morning education, Thursday afternoon board meeting, and Friday morning meeting at the National Press Club, 529 14th St NW (14th & F Streets) one block from Hotel Washington on the top floor.
Thursday tour of the US Capitol Visitors Center Project � group will meet escort at Constitution and Delaware NW (north of the Capitol Building), meet with Architect of the Capitol in conference room H-6, and take a walking tour of the construction site.
Thursday evening dinner at The City Club of Washington at Columbia Square, 555 13th St NW (at F Street) � two blocks from the hotel, on the lower level of the building.
Sponsors
In addition to the previously-mentioned event sponsors, general sponsors of the CWA Annual Meeting include: Associated Builders & Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, Caterpillar Inc., Clark Construction Group Inc., CONSTRUCTOR magazine, McGraw-Hill Construction, Randall Publishing, and Reed Construction Data Associated Construction Publications.
Registration Information
For registrations arriving at CWA headquarters after April 19, please add late fee of $25. Fees are as follows: Fundamentals of Construction Journalism, the Thursday morning education session: $100 for members and $125 for nonmembers. The 2004 Annual Meeting, including the Thursday evening awards dinner, the Friday morning continental breakfast, program and Friday luncheon: $100 for members and $125 for nonmembers. Education and annual meeting combined: $190 for members and $240 for nonmembers.
CWA membership is $75, and those who wish to join and attend should pay: $175 for membership and education; $175 for membership and annual meeting; or $265 for membership, education, and annual meeting. CWA is now able to accept credit cards in addition to checks. Call CWA or fax registration forms to use your credit card.
CLICK HERE for Registration Form
For information:
Deborah J. Hodges
Executive Director
P.O. Box 14784
Chicago, Illinois 60614
Telephone 773 687-8726
Fax 773 687-8627
info@constructionwriters.org