2007 Q&A and Technology Forum

Tuesday, October 9 - Friday, October 12, 2007
Hilton Austin
500 East 4th Street [map]
Austin, TX 78701-3720

On-line Registration is now closed. On-site registration opens at the Hilton Austin on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 2pm outside the Austin Grand Ballroom on the 6th Floor.

The Q&A and Technology Forum program has three major components to give attendees one of the industry's most comprehensive meetings on refinery operations and process technology. The 2007 session descriptions and program outlines are listed below.

The Q&A sessions in FCC, Gasoline Processes, Crude/Vacuum Distillation & Coking, and Hydroprocessing will feature panels of industry experts from refining companies and technology providers who will respond to questions and engage attendees in a discussion of today's tough issues.

The Principles & Practices sessions (P&P) sessions are discussion-oriented sessions, primarily designed for the engineer whose overall operating experience is less than 20 years. The P&P sessions will complement the information exchange that occurs in the Q&A sessions. Each of the sessions will address the fundamentals of good operation and the foundational principles for the technologies that are commonly employed. These sessions will usually have short presentations followed by a time where attendees can ask further questions or present their own particular problems and benefit from the collective experience of the other attendees. Click on the words "Principles & Practices session" above to view topics.

The Plant Automation & Decision Support sessions will address the latest developments in process control, process automation, and the supporting information technology systems.

New this year is the Cyber Security Roundtable which will be held on Thursday, Oct. 11. This session will be tailored to the specific network security needs for the refining and petrochemical industries.

The 2007 Q&A and Technology Forum program will emphasize process Safety and its primary importance in plant operations and design. Each session will include questions or presentations on proven practices for improving process safety.

The conference also includes networking functions sponsored by catalyst, chemical and technology companies which facilitate face-to-face contact with key industry experts.

Related Files:

2007 QA Final Questions

2007 QA Panelist Biographies

2007 Hospitality Directory

2007 Lifetime Awards

2007 Answer Book

2007 Final Program

Registration Includes:

Full registration includes admission to the General and Breakout Sessions, the Opening Reception and luncheons Wednesday and Thursday.

Who Should Attend:

Young engineers, seasoned professionals, process technology specialists, and mid-to-upper level managers from operating plants and headquarters, as well as supplier companies.

Individuals responsible for plant automation, process control, planning and scheduling, IT, modeling/simulation professionals, refinery and petrochemical engineers and consultants should plan on attending the plant automation sessions as well as the technology forum.

Meeting Attire:

Business casual - shirts with collars; no ties, jeans, sneakers or shorts.

Registration Fees: These fees are available through 09/29/2007
Name	Price	Available To
Member Registration	$500.00	Refining Member Petrochemical Member International Member Associate Member Government
Member Registration - Late	$600.00	Refining Member Petrochemical Member International Member Associate Member Government
Non-Member Registration	$995.00	NonMember
Non-Member Registration - Late	$1,095.00	NonMember
One-Day Pass (Fees Vary)	$0.00	Refining Member Petrochemical Member International Member Associate Member Government Special/Temporary Member NonMember
Spouse Registration	$50.00

Special Events
Name	Price	Available To
One Day Pass - Wednesday
Member (early-bird)	$250.00	Refining Member Petrochemical Member International Member Associate Member Government
Non-Member Fee (early-bird)	$500.00	NonMember
Member	$300.00	Refining Member Petrochemical Member International Member Associate Member Government
Non-Member Fee	$550.00	NonMember
One Day Pass - Thursday
Member (early-bird)	$250.00	Refining Member Petrochemical Member International Member Associate Member Government
Non-Member Fee (early-bird)	$500.00	NonMember
Member	$300.00	Refining Member Petrochemical Member International Member Associate Member Government
Non-Member Fee	$550.00	NonMember

Cancellation and Other Policies:

By registering for this meeting you signify that you have read, understand, and agree to abide by NPRA's policies on registration, housing, cancellation, spouse/guest registration, and fees.

REGISTRATION POLICY: Those who are present at the site of an NPRA meeting and/or occupy a hotel room in the NPRA room block to conduct business with industry personnel gathered for that meeting are expected to register for that meeting and pay the registration fee, whether or not they attend a specific function.

FEE POLICY: Eligibility for member rates is based on membership information currently on file with NPRA. If your company is not currently a member, the non-member fees will be charged to your credit card.

SPOUSE/GUEST POLICY: A guest is a spouse/significant other, friend or an adult child (18 years old or older) who is not in an industry-related occupation. A co-worker, an associate or spouse who works within the industry may not use the Spouse/Guest Registration category.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Registration substitution/cancellations may be made on-line or submitted in writing, faxed to 202.835.0467 or e-mailed to QA@npra.org. Substitute conference registrations may be made in advance or on arrival with no penalty. Cancellations may be made by September 11, 2007 with no penalty. Written cancellations postmarked, faxed, or emailed between September 12 and 25, 2007 will receive a refund of fees, less a $50 processing fee. No refunds after September 25, 2007. No telephone cancellations.

ENTERTAINMENT POLICY: We ask your cooperation in observing Association policy on activities held in conjunction with any NPRA meeting:
Meetings or social activities should not be scheduled that take registrants away from NPRA programs and NPRA-sponsored activities;

* Any company sponsoring a function to which 25 or more people are invited should outline its plans for advance approval by NPRA. In general, such functions will be approved if they do not unduly take registrants away from NPRA-sponsored activities;
* All representatives of companies sponsoring hospitality activities are expected to register for the meeting;
* Hospitality suites are expected to close by 1:00 a.m.;
* Food, beverage and service personnel (bartenders, hostesses, etc.) must be obtained through the hotel catering department;
* Suite promotional activities are to avoid the use of elaborate entertainment, expensive door prizes, suite attendance solicitation by individuals who are not full-time employees of the sponsoring company, or other similar activities.

Is Media Allowed?

Yes

Housing

Earliest Check-in Date: October 6, 2007
Latest Checkout-out Date: October 14, 2007
Final Reservation Cut-Off Date: September 5, 2007
(Some hotels may run out of space earlier or be cut-off prior to this date.)

Hilton Austin:
500 E. 4th St.
Austin, TX 78701-3720

    Guest Room
    Rate: $172.00 Single/Double Occupancy
    Deposit: $172.00 Single/Double Occupancy

Travel Information:

AVIS is the official rental car agency for the QA. Call 800-331-1600 and refer to AWD#:B761399 to receive discounted rates.