TOPSFIELD, Mass. (May 21, 2013) – The International Desalination Association (IDA) announced that it has selected San Diego as the site for its 2015 World Congress. Dates are Aug. 29–Sept. 4, 2015, and the Congress will be held at the San Diego Convention Center. This will be the first time since 1999 that the IDA World Congress will take place in North America. Southern California has a long and rich history in the development of desalination technology. Today, the region is home to numerous companies engaged in various aspects of the desalination industry as well as universities and research centers such as the UCLA Water Technology Research (WaTeR) Center. In addition, the Carlsbad Desalination Project, when completed, will be one of the largest SWRO plants in North America, providing San Diego County with a locally-controlled, drought-proof supply of high quality water that meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards. “IDA has established a rigorous site selection process that includes visits to the bidding locations as well as evaluation according to a comprehensive set of criteria. Considerations include the availability of a venue with suitable size, layout, amenities and proximity to appropriate hotels; local support; good travel connections and customs/visa requirements; availability of plant tours and/or access to research centers; and regional interest in desalination,” said Patricia A. Burke, IDA Secretary General. Situated on downtown San Diego’s sparkling waterfront, the 2.6 million-square-foot Convention Center is one of the most dramatic facilities in the United States, offering panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Coronado Island and the Mexican coastline. Known for its world-class location, five-star service and outstanding amenities, it features more than 615,000 square feet (sq. ft.) of prime exhibition space; 72 meeting rooms; a spacious lobby and registration area; and spacious outdoor terraces. In addition, it is located only 10 minutes from the San Diego International Airport and is within a mile and a half of more than 11,000 first-class hotel rooms, including four headquarter hotels. Burke noted that IDA also received a strong bid from São Paulo, Brazil to host the 2015 World Congress. “Latin America is an important emerging market for desalination, and São Paulo submitted a solid proposal for our next World Congress. We were very impressed by our site visit as well as the level of interest and support that our colleagues there displayed during the site selection process. As a result, we plan to organize a technical conference there in 2014, and we will certainly consider São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, as a location for our 2017 World Congress,” she said. Held every two years, the IDA World Congress focused on desalination and water reuse. It features a four-day Technical Program, an Exhibition, plant tours, IDA Desalination Academy courses, an awards program, and extensive opportunities for networking throughout Congress week. Attendees include desalination industry players including end users (utilities), manufacturers, suppliers, government officials, consulting engineers, project developers, financiers, researchers and scientists from around the globe. The International Desalination Association is a nonprofit association that serves more than 2,400 core members in 60 countries and reaches an additional 4,000 affiliate members. Its membership comprises scientists, end users, engineers, consultants and researchers from governments, corporations and academia.
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