ISTT Update

June 3-6

The final preparations for this event are now being made. The response by exhibitors has been so exceptional that part of a second hall will now be used for media and society stands to give a total of just under 4,000 sq m of dedicated trenchless exhibits — 3,000 inside and 1,000 outside.

This will make the 26th No-Dig the largest trenchless exhibition ever to be held in Europe and with free access for delegates to the two concurrent national environmental and utilities exhibitions, it will bring together to one site all the major utility organizations and companies in the Russian Federation.

The conference will be held in session rooms adjacent to the exhibition in two parallel streams and will comprise of 54 papers, which have been peer-reviewed and grouped into sessions covering a wide spectrum of current trenchless issues. There will also be a series of poster sessions. In a change from previous years, the winning entries for the No-Dig Award will make 15-minute presentations of their subjects in a special general session following the Opening Ceremony.

For those who know Moscow, road traffic congestion is always a talking point. To enable visitors staying in the city center to reach the Crocus Centre using public transportation, free shuttle buses will connect the subway station at Strogino to a convenient point for a footbridge connection to the Crocus Centre, which passes over the Moscow Ring road. There is a comprehensive guide specially prepared for international delegates on the conference Web site (see below).

There will be a reception for delegates on the first evening and a plan to hold the Gala Evening on a river cruiser, while returning to the city center from the Crocus Centre is being investigated.

Moscow in June, with the temperature between 12 and 20 C, is going to be at its best. The city center is surrounded by a green ring of parks where Moscovites enjoy the warm days and the sights are at their best. Two travel agents, Aerotour and Intourist, are recommended as they will give specially discounted rates to delegates and they are also offering an interesting range of city visits and tours after No-Dig ends. To enter Russia to attend the No-Dig Show, a tourist visa is entirely appropriate, and should be applied for in good time.

The event Web site — www.nodig2008.ru — has all the information needed to register and plan your visit. SIBICO, the professional organizers, are looking forward to handling your queries and bookings at nodig2008@sibico.com.

ISTT Membership’s Pat Nolan Retires After 19 Years

Pat Nolan joined the ISTT on June 1, 1989, when it was still based on John Street in London. Her early career had been spent in the education sector where she had specialized in teaching office studies and word processing. The ISTT had started as a single organization in 1986 with a single membership list held on a PC in its offices in London. Most of her initial work involved recruiting new members and helping with the organization of the No-Dig events held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Osaka, Japan, in 1990.

In November 1990, the ISTT moved offices to Belgrave Square to coincide with the re-organization of the Society with its membership based on Affiliated Societies. Pat started the present database, which she has maintained until her retirement. For many members, Pat was the first contact new members had with the ISTT before being directed by her to a national society, if there was one. For those without an affiliate, she held a small list of her “personal” members from the “rest of the world.”

Throughout her time, Pat treated all her contacts as friends and this has given the Society its family spirit, which new members to this day find so welcoming. It was never too much trouble for Pat to help with hotel bookings in London for members or their families or to provide details of contacts who could help with country issues. She attended every one of the No-Dig events from April 1990 in Rotterdam to September 2008 in Rome and was always available at the ISTT stand for a friendly chat or coffee.

Pat is retiring to have a well earned holiday but “as [she] can’t just stay at home,” she expects to take up some voluntary work, undertake the occasional temporary work, travel and participate in her local choral society.

Pat is the last of the founder members of the ISTT to retire and we all wish her much happiness, health and pleasure in her “second career.”

The 2008 Trenchless Technology Summit, July 13-16

The ISTT has always had a presence in the Gulf Region, which has one of the most impressive and fastest-growing infrastructure programs in the Middle East region. With an environmentally sensitive coastline and soft sandy soils that are unsuitable for open-cut, trenchless technologies have been adapted to be one of the most suitable ways of installing and maintaining the extensive underground networks of pipes and cables that the region needs.

As part of the 2008 Trenchless Technology Summit, the ISTT will be joining the IQPC to run a two-day training course, July 13-14, as part of the Summit focusing on the key issues of using trenchless technology in the region. The course will then be followed by a two-day seminar in which keynote speakers will present case studies and practical experience of work in the region with the opportunity for delegates to discuss and ask questions in each session.

Details of the Summit are available on www.trenchtech08.com, or e-mail enquiry@iqpc.ae.

Singapore International Water Week June 23-27

Preparations for this important event on the annual South East Asia calendar for water utility managers and engineers are now well advanced.

The event, sponsored by the Public Utilities Board, Singapore are keen to showcase their expertise in all water-related activities and welcome industry leaders and water specialists from all over the region.

During the event, the Lee Kuan Water Prize will be awarded to the person or company that has made the most significant contribution to the improvement of water management in the region during the year. The ISTT will have a stand at the exhibition shared with Great Southern Press, publishers of Trenchless Australasia, the Australasian Society official magazine.

Trenchless Australasia will support the event with a special Southeast Asia edition in June. The ISTT, represented by Chairman Dec Downey and Vice Chairman Sam Ariaratnam, have invited trenchless representatives from countries in the Southeast Asia region to meet in Singapore to encourage the formation of national trenchless societies in their countries.

Details of the event can be found on www.siww.com.sg.  

John Hemphill Appointed ISTT Executive Director

The Society has much pleasure in announcing the appointment of John Hemphill as the ISTT Executive Director, succeeding ISTT Executive Secretary, John Castle, effective June 1.

Hemphill recently retired as Executive Director of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT), a position he held since 2000. Under Hemphill’s guidance, the NASTT has one of the largest national societies affiliated to the ISTT and has consolidated its position as the leading trenchless technology organizations in the region.

Hemphill, with an eye on further growth in the civil engineering utilities sector, has expanded the educational services that the NASTT provides and has established the annual North American No-Dig Show as the major trenchless event of the year for the underground utility community of North America.

Hemphill has more than 35 years of experience in management and policy analysis in the fields of engineering and energy. He was Executive Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy where he advocated clean energy solutions at international forums on behalf of a U.S. “not-for-profit” association of businesses. At the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris, he served as Assistant Director for Energy Policy, where he worked with energy officials of member countries to promote sound energy policies.

Hemphill is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in civil engineering from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Maryland, respectively. He resides in Alexandria, Va.

Hemphill replaces Castle, who is entering retirement after 10 years as ISTT Executive Secretary. Hemphill will join the ISTT full-time in June at the ISTT International Board meeting in Moscow when he will have completed his hand over to his successor at the NASTT, Mike Willmets.

Castle will continue with the ISTT through August to assist in the transition.