120th Annual Meeting
April 29 to May 2 at the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel in Portland, Maine USA
Join us for AWPA's 120th Annual Meeting taking place in Portland, Maine, April 29-May 1, 2024.
The Annual Meeting will take place at the Westin Portland Harborview--in a gorgeous location with a beautiful view of the Portland harbor. With its heady mixture of artistic and outdoor adventure, Portland is stylish and sophisticated, genuine and welcoming—a place where modern marvels mingle with maritime history.
AWPA Meeting Registration
Downloadable Registration Form
*Pre-Registration is closed, but on-site registration will be available, space permitting.*
Pre-Registration: March 16 to April 10, 2024 (Members $720, Non-members $990)
On-site registration: April 29-May 2, 2024 (Members $795, Non-members $1065)
Getting to Portland
Portland International Jetport is served by all major US airlines and the hotel is located four miles from the airport. The hotel is offering discounted self-parking at the adjacent parking garage for AWPA guests, and valet parking is available for a nightly charge.
Hotel Reservations
The meeting will take place at the Westin Portland Harborview at 157 High Street in Portland, Maine.
*The hotel deadline has passed, but you can call the Westin for current availability*
The deadline for hotel reservations at the group rate of USD $189 plus tax is April 8, 2024. For online reservations, please click the link below or you may call 855-811-0043 to reserve by telephone.
CLICK HERE FOR HOTEL RESERVATIONS
Spouse/Guest Registration
Each person accompanying a registered attendee (a spouse or any guests) must be registered to attend the receptions. A badge is required for entry to all AWPA events. There are two options for spouse/guest registration:
1. A Receptions/Hospitality option. This is for those who only wish to take part in the social events at the hotel.
2. A Tour and Receptions/Hospitality option. This includes the receptions, but also includes an immersive tour of Portland, including lunch and time to shop in Kennebunkport!
The 2024 Hacker's Classic Golf Tournament
(Please email for any remaining availability) Experience golf in Maine like never before at Dunegrass Golf Club in Old Orchard Beach. This premier New England golf course pairs challenge with pristine conditions for a rewarding round of golf in Maine time and time again. Designed by internationally known golf course architect, Dan Maples, Dunegrass Golf Club has quickly gained the reputation as a premier public New England golf course just minutes from beautiful Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Enjoy stunning, rolling greens with a serene escape into the beauty that comes with a round of golf at Dunegrass Golf Club. Registration includes your round of golf, cart, buffet lunch after the round, and an embroidered Hacker’s Classic Polo Shirt. Given the close proximity of the venue, transportation will not be provided this year. Ride-share options are available if transportation is needed.
Pickler's Prance 5K Fun Run/Walk
The 2024 Pickler’s Prance 5K Fun Run/Walk is a great way to start the day! The run/walk provides a great opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the salt air of coastal Maine. The deadline for registration has passed--please email if you are interested in participating.
Display Table Add-on
Would you like a table to display your company's literature, samples, or a tabletop exhibit? If so, please register for the Display Table Add-on which includes a six-foot table, two chairs, and a standard 120 volt outlet. The tables will be arranged in the same area as the coffee breaks for maximum exposure to meeting attendees. The deadline to register for a display table was March 15.
Student Travel Fellowship Fund Contributions
Each year, AWPA is able to pay travel costs for several students to attend the meeting and present their current research. Some of these students have been hired by organizations in the industry after graduation. Please help support our students by contributing to the Student Travel Fellowship Fund. You can contact us at +1-205-733-4077 to request an invoice, or you can contribute during the registration process. Organizations and individuals who have contributed to the 2024 Scholarship Fund thus far are:
Craig McIntyre
Jim Healey
Tom Kyzer
Dustin Clary
Raymond Sheepwash
Matt Anderson
Colin McCown
Paul Merrick
Brian Stultz
Paul Tucker
Navnit Upadhyay
David Williams
Mark Clark
Kyle Cassidy
Greg Traczek
Gord Gilmet
Will Cox
Hal Bumby
Ken Grace
(list will be updated as new donations are received)
Things to See and Do in Portland
The official website of the Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau has so much information on all there is to see and do while in town. Visit their site now to begin planning your trip:
120th Annual Meeting Schedule of Events
Meeting General Chair: Jeff Morrell
General Vice Chair: Min Chen
Program Chair: Jay Hilsenbeck
*Please Note this is all TENTATIVE and will be updated as it solidifies!*
Abstracts are being posted as they are received.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Executive Committee Meeting - Rines A
Monday, April 29, 2024
7:00 am - Hacker's Classic Golf Tournament - Tee Time is 9am
8:00 am - Pickler's Prance 5k Fun Run/Walk Meet in the Hotel Lobby
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Registration Desk Open
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm - T1 Task Group - M2 Revisions - Winslow Homer Room
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm – RTA R&D Meeting- Longfellow Room
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Task Group on Sorting out Ambiguity Between U1 and T1 Relating to Crossarms - Winslow Homer Room
3:00 pm to 5:30 pm - Treated Wood Council Government Affairs Meeting (TWC members only, please) - Longfellow Room
5:30 pm to 6:00 pm - New Member Reception (by invitation only)
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm - President's Welcome Reception - Eastland Grand Ballroom
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
8:00 am to 4:00 pm - Registration Desk Open
8:00 am to 5:00 pm - Exhibitors in the Grand Ballroom Pre-Function Area
8:30 am to 10:00 am - Combined Opening Session and Business Session - Eastland Grand Ballroom (all day)
- Welcome and recognition of sponsors and guests
- Opening Remarks – Recognition of the 120th Meeting of the AWPA by Dave Webb
- Golf and 5K Run/Walk Results
- Presentation of the 2024 AWPA Award of Merit
- Protectant General Committee Report: Grant Kirker, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
- Treatments General Committee Report: Bill Buczek, UFP Industries
- Vice President's Address: Jay Hilsenbeck, Arxada
- President's Address: Andy Kudick, Intec Services
- Business Session
8:45 am to 4:00 pm - Spouse/Guest Tour (for those registered for the tour option)
10:00 am to 10:15 am - Break
10:15 am to 11:15 am - Keynote Speaker: Doug Gardner, Professor and Program Leader Sustainable Materials and Technology, University of Maine, They're Doing What with Wood?
11:15 am to 11:45 am - Geoff Webb, National Hardwood Lumber Association, AWPA Role in Preservative Treatment of Underutilized Hardwoods: A Return to its Roots
11:45 am to 1:30 pm - Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - Colley/Hartford Memorial Lecture: Tripti Singh, The National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, Harmonizing Timber Circularity: A Comprehensive Approach to Sustainable Wood Resource Management in Australia
2:30 pm to 2:45 pm - Break
2:45 pm to 5:00 pm - Research Symposium
Gerald Presley - Revisiting Pyrolytic Oils and Their Derivatives as Wood Preservatives - followed by a talk on - Ongoing Field Trials Measuring the Performance of DCOI as a Wood Pole Preservative, in Western Wood Species, and in Different Solvent Systems
Jeff Morrell - Treatability of a Plantation Pine Resource: A National Survey
Beth Stokes - Education in Wood Science Technology Programs
Grant Kirker - Evaluation of Wood Fiber-Based Insulation Materials for Mold and Fire Resistance
Justin Duma, Arxada - Evaluation of Next Generation SDHI's for Wood Preservation
Butch Bernhardt - Exploring the Strengths Impacts of Incising
Richa Tungal - Evaluating the Efficacy of External Paste and Internal Fumigants for Enhancing Durability in Wood Product Lifecycle
- Glenn Larkin, LarChem LLC - Decay Performance of Thermally Modified Ash (Fraxinus americana) and Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) Exposed Above Ground in a Harsh Tropical Climate.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
8:00 am to 4:00 pm - Registration Desk Open
8:00 am to 5:00 pm - Exhibitors in the Grand Ballroom Pre-Function Area
8:30 am to 10:00 am - Utilities, Railroads, and Commercial Applications - Eastland Grand Ballroom
- Chad Newton, Osmose Utilities Services - Effective Use of Field Inspection Data
- Kevin Brown, Viance – DCOI, An Industrial Treatment for Railroad Ties, on Track for the Future
- Kevin Archer, Andrew Zahora, Rufai Ibrahim, Viance - Fire Retardant Treated Wood Flame Tunnel testing for IBC 2021 Compliance
- Nick Skoulis, Creosote Council – Product Stewardship: Environmental Dynamics
- Dave Koch, Wheeler Lumber, RTA Update - Wood Railroad Tie Market Overview
- Jeff Lloyd, Nisus - What's Up with the Borates?
10:00 am to 10:15 am - Break
10:15 am to 11:15 am – Chemical Manufacturer’s Update - Eastland Grand Ballroom
- Jonathan Whitehead, Viance - Residential Treated Wood Options
- Matt Roughen, Arxada – Global Update on Products and Registrations from Arxada
- Jun Zhang, Koppers – MCA Update and Next-Gen Micronized Copper Preservative
- Mark Manning, Nisus – CuNap Update
- Chris Barber, Kop-Coat – A Performance Update of Above-Ground UC3A and UC3B Preservatives
11:15 am to 12:15 pm – Treater’s Symposium - Eastland Grand Ballroom
- Kim Merritt, Southern Pine Inspection Bureau - IMO BMPs of IQC – and Other Acronyms to Optimize Your Process Through Lab Best Management Practices
- Miguel Gutierrez, Gemini Forest Products - Using Treated Wood in California
- Raymond Koch, Koppers - Benefits of Utilizing Advanced Technology in the Treating of Crossties
- Kyle Cassidy, Stella-Jones - Treating Poles: Challenges and Opportunities
12:15 pm to 1:30 pm - Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm to 3:15 pm – Student Sessions - Eastland Grand Ballroom
- Ershad Ahmmed, Mississippi State University – Evaluation of Water Ingress into Various Retentions of Creosote Treated Gum, Liquidambar Styraciflua, via Wetting Angle After Weathering
- Vahideh Akbari, Universite Laval – Environmentally Friendly Wood Innovative Hardening Solution
- Jovale Tongco, University of Idaho - Durability and Thermal Properties of Biomineralized Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) via bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii
- Juan Vargas, University of the Sunshine Coast - Determining the Minimal Level of CCA Penetration Required to Protect E. nitens Heartwood from Fungal Decay
- Cody Wainscott, Oregon State University - Durability, Moisture Resistance and Spectral Analysis of Thermally Modified Wood Produced from North American Wood Species
3:15 pm to 3:30 pm - Break
3:30 pm to 5:30 pm - Thermally Modified Wood - Winslow Homer Room
- Bror Moldrup, IWT-Moldrup Asia Pacific PTE, Certification of Thermally Modified Timber - The European Experience and the View of an Industrialist
- Peter Klaas, WTT - EMC as a Quality Control Parameter for Thermally Modified Wood
- Grant Kirker, USDA Forest Products Laboratory - Overview of efforts of AWPA to create a pathway for standardization and incorporation of thermally modified woods into the AWPA BOS.
Presentations to be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Kelly Bartz, Arbor Wood Co.
Panelists:
- Dustin Clary, TWT (Therma Wood Technologies)
- Jason Holman, Arbor Wood Co.
- Matt Pryor, Americana/ Bingaman & Son Lumber Inc.
- Chris Rider, Atlanta Hardwoods/ AHC Hardwood Group
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm - Closing Reception - Eastland Grand Ballroom
Thursday, May 2, 2024
9:00 am to 11:00 am - ASC O5 - Winslow Homer Room