2022 Geospatial Water Technology Conference COVID-19 Protocols

IMPORTANT: In order to receive important communication from the AWRA Team about your conference participation, you must add [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected] to your safe sender list.

COVID-19 Health and Safety Standards at the 2022 Geospatial Water Technology Conference

In the world we live in today, there is an inherent and permanent risk of being exposed to COVID-19 in your daily life. Trips to the grocery store, getting gas, picking up your children from school, and seeing family and friends are among the risks we take daily to live a normal and productive life. AWRA seeks to normalize how the AWRA community can gather in-person to fulfill our mission of community, conversation, and connection in the water resources community. Our safe and healthy protocols in place are the best practices of in-person gatherings today. The restrictions that are in place are the current standards, and protocols may change closer to the conference date.

UPDATED: April 20, 2022

AWRA will continue to hold its 2022 Geospatial Water Technology Conference (GWTC) in person as planned, with strict safety and health protocols in place to continue our commitment to keeping conference participants and AWRA staff safe. A conference venue is being determined and more details will be provided soon. Please note that AWRA reserves the right to mandate COVID-19 related mandates and restrictions in the conference meeting space.

AWRA is closely monitoring COVID-19 in Austin, Texas, and will update this page should any changes occur to the conference, in general, or the conference COVID-19 protocols. We recognize that this may feel like a fluid situation and ask that you check this page often for updates. If circumstances change in the local area (i.e., similar to the overwhelming spread of COVID-19 in Orlando and the health crisis that followed), the AWRA Board of Directors will assess the situation as it unfolds and may choose to make different choices at that time.

AWRA is also firmly committed to returning to our ‘new’ normal, where we can hold meetings and gatherings as we have done for decades before. To that end, AWRA staff completed training to become a COVID Certified Coordinator, a certification that demonstrates the best practices and knowledge of planning in-person events during a pandemic.

REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS

Regardless of the conference venue policies, as the event organizer, AWRA will require the following for all attendees.

1. SIGN THIS NOW! All conference participants (attendees, presenters, exhibitors, etc.) must sign, date, and upload the COVID-19 Liability Waiver and Affirmation of Conduct Restrictions to the conference verification tool.


2. UPDATE: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required to attend the conference. 


3. OPTIONAL: WEAR A MASK! The mask mandate has been lifted in Austin, TX. AWRA strongly encourages attendees to wear a mask but it is optional.


4. WEAR A SOCIAL DISTANCING LANYARD! In order to non-verbally communicate your comfort level with social distancing, we ask that you wear one of the provided lanyards with the color that most describes your comfort level in interacting with conference participants.
• Green – Shake hands/hug
• Yellow – Elbow bump/fist bump
• Red – I prefer not to touch and stay at least three (3) feet apart from me.

COVID-19 DOCUMENTATION VERIFICATION TOOL

Instructions for Accessing and Uploading Your COVID-19 Required Documents:

1. Sign into your AWRA Account.
2. Click your name in the upper right corner to take you into your account.
3. Click the tab labeled ‘COVID-19 Requirements'.
4. Please use your mobile device to take a picture of each required document, and upload to your account.

 

REGISTRATION NOTE & CANCELATION POLICY

BEFORE REGISTERING, click here to read the COVID-19 Liability Waiver and Affirmation of Conduct Restrictions. You will be required to sign, date, and upload this into the conference verification tool.

All conference participants (presenters, moderators, panelists, etc.) must register at the appropriate registration rate. AWRA Gateway members are not eligible for discounted rates. The registration fees are the major source of funding for the Conference, and the sharing of registrations is prohibited - every person attending the conference must register. For presenters, if two or more individuals will be presenting, each individual must register for the conference. This includes all oral/technical session presenters; all panel session presenters; and all poster session presenters. All conference participants must adhere to the AWRA Code of Conduct.

Cancelations must be made in writing. We can transfer your registration to someone else by April 11, 2022. Those cancelations received by April 11, 2022 will be subject to a processing fee of 25% of total fees. No refunds will be given after April 11, 2022 - no exceptions! Abstract submission fees are nonrefundable. Refunds will be processed after the conclusion of the conference.