The best way to start your 2019 FMA National Conference week is with the ARR Workshop Application of ARR2019 in Urban Areas. The workshop will be hosted by Mark Babister (WMAwater), Peter Coombes (Urban Cycle Water Solutions) and Steve Roso (Floodinfo Solutions).

It's a full-day course and runs from 9.30am - 5pm, and will cover the philosophy and application of ARR in urban catchments. If you're a practitioner, manager, town planner or member of council engineering staff, this workshop is for you. (Get more details on the Workshop at the Conference Website.)

Tuesday is the day for four key things; Pre-Conference Workshops, Trade Exhibitor setups, checking into your hotel and the Conference Welcome Reception.

The Pre-Conference Workshops this year are focussing on Introduction to Floodplain Risk Management, Modelling for Non-Modellers and Total Flood Warning Systems. Which one will you be attending? Attendees of the workshops will be the first on the ground to check out the Conference Venue and to 'ooh' and 'aah' at it's amenities. They'll also be the first people to witness the Trade Exhibitors moving their booth displays in while rocking their hi-vis vests. 

As the day gets on, you've checked into your hotel (hope it's a good one - did you get an upgrade?) and it's time to head down to the Conference Welcome Reception (sponsored by NSW SES). Picture familiar faces, circulating trays of drinks and rowdy laughter from that one delegate who knows how to party. President Ian Dinham will take the microphone and welcome you to what is sure to be the best FMA Conference yet. Don't stay up too late - the Conference officially opens tomorrow!

From 7.30am you can visit the Registration desk and gather your Conference goodies from the lovely ladies at East Coast Conferences. Think a satchel, lanyard (very important for remembering people's names...right?), special climate-appropriate Conference cap, official Conference program and maybe a sweet treat. 

You take a moment to sort through all of the satchel inserts you've been given, making a mental note to follow up on them later, flip through your program in a non-commital kind of way, maybe swing by a booth or two and realise that wait - yes - you did read it correctly in the program, the FMA Conference has an APP now! So you spend the next twenty minutes (it's okay because you're early) scrolling through the app and bookmarking the presentations you want to see, stalking your favourite presenters, noting the locations of the Social Functions and (let's be honest) finding out where the Coffee Cart (from the kind people at Cardno) is going to be and when.

Session 1 begins at 8.30am and includes addresses from Minister Mick Gentleman MLA, and Insurance Council of Australia (Platinum Sponsor by the way), a special announcement about Australian Rainfall and Runoff and an exceptional keynote address from Sarah Barker discussing Climate Change through a Finance and Liability Risk Lens.

At the morning tea break (while stuffing your face) you circulate, reconnecting with old friends and colleagues from years passed and take some time to listen to the poster presentations. Not forgetting this year's Conference app, you vote for each poster presentation you attend to help determine who goes home with the coveted Best Poster Prize.

Throughout the day you attend a myriad of innovative and inspiring concurrent sessions, and you depart on your field trip of choice (don't forget your jacket - this is Canberra, remember). When you return from your field trip you get ready for the Casual Dinner function at the National Museum of Australia (sponsored by WMAwater). When was the last time you were at the National Museum after hours?

Late in the evening you return to your hotel room weary but invigorated with your pockets stuffed full of new business cards and you think "I'm so glad I'm here - I have to come back next year." 

The Councillor's Choice Breakfast Session runs from 7.30am today (and has lots of coffee, don't worry) and is an excellent opportunity for Councillors to raise and discuss issues of importance to local government. 

Concurrent sessions begin the day at 9am and run until morning tea (don't forget those poster presentations). During the plenary session delegates will hear from Gold Sponsor NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and the National Panel discussing flood risk management from each state and territory of Australia.

During lunch (who knew conference food could be so good?), you remember that today is the AGM and you need to pick up your Business Papers and voting cards, so you visit the FMA Booth (14 & 15 FYI) and get it sorted, pocketing some complementary promotional materials. Throughout the remaining concurrent sessions of the day, you utilise the 'Notes' section of your app to jot down the key points of your favourite presentations. Both the AGM and the Big Data, Better Outcomes workshop are on offer this afternoon, and after much deliberation (it's a tough call) you decide which one you'll attend.

This evening is the main event - the FMA Excellence Awards Gala Dinner. It's the night that determines which flood risk manager will go home with a coveted title of Flood Risk Manager of the Year and a hefty crystal trophy, and which flood risk management project will be awarded with $10,000 cash (courtesy of NRMA Insurance). Held at the prestigious Old Parliament House, you can feel the history when you walk in, marvelling at the displays on the walls and thinking of those who have paved the way before you.

After much celebration (sponsored by Royal HaskoningDHV), excitement and raucousness, you return to your hotel room determined to enter the Excellence Awards next year (so, who won this year...?).

You start Friday morning by attending the address by the winning 2019 FMA Excellence Award Project (that's at 9.10am by the way), and settle in for international keynote speaker Harald Drager's enlightening address "Emergency Management Around the World - Challenges and Lessons Learned". 

As the Conference is coming to close today you take one last swing around the trade exhibitors, grabbing some more business cards (and entering those prize draws), and visiting the poster presentations during the breaks.

You start to brainstorm ways that you can be involved with FMA during the year, and how to convince the boss that you need to return to the FMA Conference next year (it's going to be in Toowoomba right?).