It's time to register for the 52nd annual Southern Forest Insect Work Conference, 28-31 July 2009, Courtyard by Marriott Gulfport Beachfront, in Gulfport, Mississippi USA!

The 2009 SFIWC registration form and program summary are now available at http://www.sfiwc.org//2009/index.html as both .doc and .pdf files.  The registration fee is $180 ($110 for students and retired members).  Extra banquet tickets are $39.  Please be aware that an additional $8.00 fee applies to all Canadian and other non-U.S. checks.

This year's banquet will be a poolside seafood boil, featuring Louisiana crawfish and gulf shrimp, cooked with Cajun spices, new potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and stewed onions; fried catfish fillets with cocktail and tartar sauce; pulled BBQ pork with fresh yeast rolls; Southern fried chicken; creamy coleslaw and mustard potato salad; baked beans; hush puppies/sweet cornbread; banana pudding/peach cobbler for dessert; and a cash bar.  Vegetarian plates also are available; please be sure to mark your preference on the registration form.

The hotel requires a portion of our bill to be paid 30 days prior to the meeting and would like to have a reasonably accurate head count in advance for food preparation, so I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE everyone to send in their registration forms and fees to me as early as possible.  Pre-registration will be accepted until July 13.

Remember to reserve your room at the Courtyard by Marriott Gulfport Beachfront no later than June 30.  Room rates are $80.00 per night plus tax.  Remember, this low rate is valid only for the first 90 rooms (first 30 on Monday, July 27).  Please go to http://www.sfiwc.org//2009/index.html for details.


I hope to see you in Gulfport!

- Will Shepherd

William P. Shepherd, SFIWC Secretary-Treasurer