RAW on the River is only 2 weeks away! If you have not yet registered and still plan to do so, please do it ASAP! We will be closing registrations this Friday, April 28. Don't wait until Friday though! We are trying to finalize counts and need to know if you are planning to come, the sooner the better. Shuttles - The shuttle schedule to/from Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) is on the RAW website. Register online to reserve your spot for $25 each way. If the shuttles don't work for your schedule, I encourage you to reach out to your peers and try to rideshare to/from the airport as much as possible. Travel Dubuque stepped up to help with the shuttle costs. Whova - We have again secured the Whova app to manage RAW this year. Invitations to join should come in the next few days if we have your email on file. More info about Whova will come as it becomes available. Hotel Update - The Grand Harbor Resort is officially full at the discounted RAW rate, though they do have a handful of rooms left at much higher rates. I suggest trying the Holiday Inn or the Hotel Julien if you have not yet secured your room. Each of those is a short 2 block walk to the Grand River Event Center and the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Trolley Tours - We have booked 2 trolleys to provide tours of Dubuque for up to 52 people on Sunday May 7 from 4 PM to 6:30 PM for the earlier arrivals. This is a guided tour of the historic downtown area, which has recently received a lot of rehab attention. Many buildings in the area are on the federal list of historic sites. Dozens of local artists have created murals in the downtown area. The tour will include a complimentary pass to ride the Fenelon Place Elevator, the world's shortest and steepest scenic railway. A signup sheet will be located at the registration booth, first come, first served! Hospitality Suite - Piscine Energetics has stepped up to host the Hospitality Suite each evening from Sunday - Thursday until 11 PM! Each evening will have a different theme. Monday night's theme, Brewing Operations in Public Aquaria, is the best night to bring your own home brews to share with your peers. We aim to have a good assortment of snacks and beverages on hand, including Conservation Cream Ale, bottled especially for us each year by Dimensional Brewing Company. Also heavily represented will be Potosi Brewery, speaking of which... Wednesday Icebreaker @ National Brewery Museum - Originally founded in 1852, the Potosi(r) Brewing Company became the fifth largest brewery in Wisconsin and distributed coast to coast. The brewery survived prohibition but closed in 1972. Following a $7.5 million restoration, the Potosi Brewery Foundation, a non-profit organization and sole owner of the Potosi Brewing Company, reopened the brewery in 2008. The facility is home to the National Brewery Museum(tm), a brewpub, restaurant, beer garden, gift shop, and Great River Road Interpretive Center. And don't forget to check out the koi pond! The Potosi Brewery's mission is to channel profits into its markets served to support historical and educational based initiatives, and charitable causes. Agenda - The schedule of talks and events is now posted on the RAW website. It will added to Whova soon. Sponsors - A huge thank you to the 38 corporate sponsors who have committed to helping keep RAW affordable and accessible to all! Without your support, RAW couldn't happen. We're excited to see you all soon! Andy Allison Vice President of Living Collections & Education National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium 350 E. 3rd St., Dubuque, IA 52001 Cell: 608-331-0358 Office: 563-557-9545 x239 rivermuseum.com<http://www.rivermuseum.com/>