COPRI Congress Planned for November 2010 in Memphis

For the first time in 10-year history, the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute will host a Congress to bring its members together from November 13-17, 2010 in Memphis, Tennessee for four days of learning, networking, and celebration.

Aerial view of Memphis.

The Congress Organizing Committee is pleased to announce that theme will be COPRI: A Decade of Growth, A Future of Opportunities. The Congress program calls for a day of short courses, followed by workshops, and speakers, as well as a general membership meeting and a celebration of the Institute’s 10th anniversary. There will be sixteen breakout sessions, with offerings planned by all of COPRI’s technical committees. An awards luncheon, gala event, and general membership meeting will round out the program.

The Congress will be at the Memphis Marriott, with some of the Congress events being held at the Memphis Convention Center. The Conference Organizing Committee, chaired by COPRI Past President Steve Curtis, has selected a central location that will be easily accessible to most COPRI members. Memphis, situated on the Mississippi River with major airports in close proximity, provides a Congress destination on one of our nation’s most important rivers with a lively, bustling city to explore.

The Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau notes that Memphis boasts a population of more than 650,000 residents, with its downtown situated just 12 miles from the Memphis International Airport. Not only is the city home to Graceland, Beale Street, and the Peabody Hotel, it also has the largest urban park in the nation. The Memphis Marriott, the largest hotel in downtown Memphis, is on the city trolley line, and is close to the National Civil Rights Museum and the Brooks Museum of Art. It is connected to both the 300,000-square-foot Memphis Cook Convention Center and the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Information about room reservations and registration will be announced later in the spring to allow plenty of time for COPRI members to register and make travel plans.

COPRI Director Tom Chase said he hopes all COPRI members will take an active role in this inaugural Congress. He said members can contribute by submitting short course proposals, assisting committees with the development of breakout sessions, sponsoring the Congress or its events, attending, and spreading the word to encourage colleagues and fellow engineering professionals to register. To assist with planning a conference session, please contact your technical committee chair or Steve Curtis. To assist with sponsorship or technical tours, please contact Tom Chase.