Louisiana Rural Water Association Hosted Annual Conference in Lake Charles

By Candy Rodriguez

July marked the ninth year the Louisiana Rural Water Association hosted its Annual Conference in Lake Charles. The five-day event, which took place this year from July 14 to 19 at the Lake Charles Event Center, has a significant economic impact each year.

Last year, the conference generated $1.5 million and 1,541 room nights. This is one of VLC’s biggest summer conferences, and it provides an economic lift during the season.

When asked what they loved about meeting in Southwest Louisiana, here’s what some of the attendees had to say:

“Being in Southwest Louisiana for LRWA has allowed me to network with individuals committed to water and environmental issues, and the food here is truly amazing. I do breakfast, lunch, and dinner number one, and even dinner number two—Lake Charles’ food, culture and people are absolutely incredible.” - Shelly Lopez-Gray, Prairie Dog Boring Equipment, Houston, Texas 

“Coming to Lake Charles for LRWA allows me to get in front of my customers and vendors from this side of the state. I enjoyed the lazy river at L’Auberge Casino Resort with my family during my downtime, which was very relaxing after a long day.” - Brandon McKinney, Field Operations Manager, Gainey’s Concrete, Holden, Louisiana

“I like the easy accessibility to the facility. The classes were well taught. I had a good time with a lot of activities from the moment we arrived until we went back to our rooms. Everyone has been extremely nice and accommodating. I really enjoyed myself.” -Angela Jackson, Deputy Clerk/Utility Clerk, Town of Cotton Valley, Louisiana

“My favorite part about meeting in Lake Charles and being in Southwest Louisiana has definitely been the food and the people. The local restaurants here offer amazing food.” - Michael Lee, Tech Support Specialist, EasyBill Software, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

“The people are incredibly nice, with lots of smiling faces, and it feels very safe here. It’s been a very pleasant experience overall.” - Bree Carraway, COO, EasyBill Software, Hattiesburg, Mississippi