SNAME’s Great Lakes/Rivers Section To Hold Fall Meeting In St. Louis
The Great Lakes/Great Rivers section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) will hold its 2018 fall meeting October 3–4 at the Holiday Inn St. Louis-Downtown Convention Center Hotel. With the meeting planned near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, the two-day event will offer a focus on the inland waterways.
“We tried to tailor our presenters to speak to inland waterways topics so it would attract people in that region to come to the meeting,” said Eric Helder, assistant to the director of engineering for fleet projects at The Interlake Steamship Company and papers chair for the Great Lakes/Great Rivers section of SNAME.
Speakers will include Ed Schwarz, vice president of new-build sales for ABB Marine & Ports, who will detail his company’s diesel electric propulsion system and the possibilities the system presents for operators on the inland waterways. Joe Woods, vice president of business development for ABS Advanced Solutions, will survey major cyber security incidents that have taken place recently and discuss cyber security solutions available to the maritime industry.
The meeting will also feature a pair of representatives from government agencies. Steve Douglass from the U.S. Coast Guard will discuss compliance options for vessel owners and operators involved in the implementation of Subchapter M. In addition, Waylon Humphrey, deputy chief of operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Louisville District, will discuss the newly dedicated Olmsted Locks and Dam project.
Besides the presentations, the meeting will offer invaluable opportunities for attendees to network with others in the maritime industry, Helder said.
“I’ve made a lot of great connections with people who have expertise in certain technical areas and helped me solve a technical issue or vendors who have a new piece of equipment,” Helder said. “And some of it is about putting a face to a name you’ve come across or read about.”
Helder said SNAME meetings are also a good place for students in the fields of engineering, naval architecture or otherwise within the maritime industry to connect and network with those already established in the industry.
The meeting will begin with an ice breaker reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 3. The meeting will reconvene October 4 at 7:30 for breakfast, followed by an 8:30 a.m. society business meeting. Presentations will begin promptly at 8:45 a.m., with a lunch provided at noon.
A special hotel rate is available through September 4. Registration for members is $90 and for non-members $115 through September 26. Late and on site registration is $100 for members and $125 for non-members. Registration for students, retirees and guests is $35.
For registration information, visit www.sname.org/greatlakesgreatriverssection and click on the 2018 fall meeting link. Contact meeting chair Travis Martin at travism@bayengna.com or 920-743-8282 for more details.
