In 2017, 56 countries were represented among the more than 3,000 attendees at the Convention & Exposition in Orlando, FL. Registrations for the 2018 WQA Convention & Exposition are on pace with sign-ups for the same period a year ago. This year’s WQA Convention & Exposition takes place March 26-29, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO.
The housing registration deadline is March 5. Anyone who registers by the end of February will be entered in a new drawing for the chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. Attendees and exhibitors can register for the event at wqa.org/convention. Limited exhibit space and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Exhibitors should go here to secure their booth space.
Member meeting: The 2018 Annual Meeting of the Members will be held at the association’s Annual Convention & Exposition, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 27, (in Mile High Ballroom 1) to elect directors, receive reports and transact other business.
DC Fly-in: WQA is once again teaming up with the National Ground Water Association and the Irrigation Association to host the Water Resources Congressional Summit as part of the 2018 DC Fly-In on March 6-7. The Summit on Tuesday, March 6 offers the chance to hear unique insights on the legislative and regulatory climate in Washington. The following day, WQA members will fan out across Capitol Hill for congressional visits and government agency presentations. Attendee registration is $200 per person which includes lunch and a reception on March 6. This is a great opportunity to touch base with Congressional members and their staffs and speak up on behalf of important water industry issues and concerns. Registration deadline is February 16.
Report IP Threat: WQA is calling attention to the growing problem of counterfeit water filters by joining forces with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center). WQA now displays the ‘Report IP Theft’ button and its link to the IPR Center as a tool to report IP theft and trade law violations, while also serving as a deterrent to anyone contemplating brand infringement. Not all counterfeit or deceptively labeled filters are intercepted before they reach local stores or are delivered to homes. Many replacement filters are purchased online, making efforts to identify and seize the phony products very difficult. The ‘Report IP Theft’ button is credited with helping to generate thousands of leads referred to industry and law enforcement each year.
Challenges in India: WQA hosted the first-ever meeting of water treatment industry leaders in India last week, resulting in approval of a new Gold Products Compendium to help the government identify reliable products and strategies to deal with water quality challenges. The Gold Products Compendium would be used to help the government of India more accurately assess the value of proposed water quality solutions. “Using products that are not certified with unproven claims may waste valuable government resources,” said Vaneet Gupta, who represents WQA as country manager for India. The group also discussed WQA’s Gold Seal Product Certification program for water quality products and its Professional Certification and training program. Company representatives spoke about the latest technologies for dealing with such issues as arsenic, nitrates, brackishness and microbial contamination.