Tacoma Events
Special Events
Events at the Annual Meeting
"…a fantastically run conference.
The accommodations, organization, and execution were all excellent."
-Attendee of the 2009 SHOT Annual Meeting
Opening Plenary and Reception
Our annual meeting will kick off with events at the Tacoma Art Museum on Thursday evening, 30 September.�At 6.30 pm, we will have an opening plenary in which the editors of Technology and Culture will hold a panel discussion about the past, present, and future state of the journal.� Following this panel, we will hold a reception that will include a cash bar and several food stations serving small plates and hearty hors d’oeuvres.�We have kept the fee for this reception as low as possible ($25).�Please indicate on the registration form if you are planning to attend. The Tacoma Art Museum is a 10-minute walk from the Hotel Murano.
Graduate Student Breakfast
SHOT prides itself on being open and welcoming to new participants, especially graduate students.�On Friday, 1 October at 7 am, currently-enrolled graduate students are cordially invited to breakfast and to meet the Society’s officers. This continental breakfast will offer graduate students a chance to meet each other, to learn about SHOT programs (including prizes and fellowships), and to find out about SHOT’s journal, Technology and Culture.�This breakfast is free for currently-enrolled graduate students (please do not sign up if you are not eligible for this category).�You must register for this event in order to attend; please indicate your attendance on the registration form.
International Scholars Breakfast
A key way that SHOT reaches out to historians of technology around the world is through its International Scholars program.� Each incoming annual “class” of International Scholars is formally introduced at the Awards Banquet but to welcome them more personally, SHOT holds a breakfast for them each year.� This year’s breakfast will be held on Friday, 1 October, at 7 am.� If you are a new or former International Scholar (or a member of the Internationalization Committee), please email Harro Maat BEFORE 10 September to let him know if you will be attending this breakfast.
Salmon Bake
August and September are dry months in Washington; September tends to be characterized by end-of-summer warmth and autumnal freshness.�That is, it is picnic month.�For those interested, on Friday we will offer a salmon barbeque at Owens beach in Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park. The event will allow those interested to see the Camp Six Logging Museum, a heritage site within the park preserving some of the technology associated with the timber industry of the steam age.� The dinner will offer views over Puget Sound and a sunset over the Olympic Mountains to the west as sauce for the northwest’s signature dish.� Buses will begin departing from the Murano at 6 PM and the cost will be $35 per person.� This event will be limited to 100 people, so please be sure to sign up early!
Beer Tasting in the Hospitality Suite
On Friday evening, local craft brewers will introduce us to the practices and products of their art.�We will tap a few kegs thanks to the Washington Beer Commission and its member-brewers.�Historically, thanks to abundant grains, hop production and mountain water, Washington had a vibrant brewing industry, which after prohibition dwindled to a few regionally-dominant producers in Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland; in turn, these fell to the national consolidation of the beer industry.�But over the last three decades, craft and microbrews have turned to the same agricultural and natural resources with the goal of producing a diverse set of good local beers, making this region the leader in the American beer-making renaissance.�This event will introduce us to the material culture of craft brewing, at least at the final step, and also allow us to hear from the artisans who have taken up this mission.
Members’ Meeting
Are you interested in finding out about new SHOT initiatives?� Thinking about volunteering to serve on one of the Society’s committees?� If so, then please join us for the Members’ Meeting which will be held on Saturday, 2 October at 12.30 pm.�In addition, all members are welcome to sit in on the Executive Council session scheduled for Thursday, 30 September, 8 am-5 pm.
Reception and Awards Banquet
On Saturday, 2 October at 6:30 pm, SHOT invites you to attend the annual Awards Banquet to be held at the Murano.� This year, the reception will feature an opportunity to sample some of the wines of Washington State, which will be offered by a family-run winery, Stina’s Cellars.�Along with the wine tasting, you will be able to purchase Stina’s wines for consumption during the banquet and you can order wine that can be shipped to selected states.�Visit their Website for more information about their wines.
The Awards Banquet is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an evening with old and new friends, to show our appreciation to SHOT’s many volunteers, and to honor the recipients of our prizes and fellowships.� As we did last year in Pittsburgh, we will keep the formal awards ceremony brief so that it both celebrates the achievements of the winners while providing the audience with ample time to socialize.�The banquet will feature a buffet, with a selection of appetizers, beef and fish entr�es, plus an impressive dessert display.� Tickets are $45 per person, and please sign up for the banquet on the registration form.� Also, please note the space for telling us if you will be accompanied by a spouse or guest.
Asia Network Breakfast
To promote scholarship on Asian topics and to encourage historians from Asia to participate in our activities, SHOT members have formed a network.� In Tacoma, network members will meet over breakfast on Sunday, 3 October; if you wish to participate, please indicate your interest on the registration form.� The charge for breakfast will be $17.� For more information on the group, email Tae-Ho Kim.
Celebrate America! Silent Auction
Last year, to honor our international attendees at SHOT in Pittsburgh, we hosted an International Table where overseas delegates brought a token of their country so we could all see from where they had traveled.� As well as enjoying the international spectacle, the items were subsequently sold by silent auction that provided some fun to the event and also raised funds for this year’s conference.
So 2010 turns the tables and now it’s the Americans’ turn!� We are asking those traveling within the United States to bring something from your state or city (value no more than $15) to celebrate America.� It can be as useful or as silly as you like.� Again, we will enjoy the artifacts and a silent auction will take place during the conference that will close just before the Banquet.� The artifacts will be on display in the main exhibition area so everyone will have the chance to participate.
Last year was a great success and we do hope that you will take part in the spirit of Celebrate America in 2010!� If you have any questions, please email Jane Carlson.
Book Exhibit
As always, we will be hosting a book exhibit and we are pleased to announce, that at press time, we have already heard from several major publishers that they will be attending.� If you are a publisher and wish to exhibit or an author and you wish to arrange for your book to be on display, contact Jane Carlson at SHOT@virginia.edu as soon as possible.