5 Things First-Time Attendees Should Know Before SEPTIC-CON

New to SEPTIC-CON? Here's what past first-timers wish they'd known before their first trip to Tacoma.

1. Book your hotel early. Our host hotels - Courtyard Marriott and the Hotel Murano - are both an easy walk from the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. Rooms in the host block go quickly as the conference gets closer, so it's worth locking in your stay as soon as you register.

2. Pick your track before you arrive. With over 20 speakers and 45+ classes across installer, manufacturer, regulatory, business, and operations/monitoring/maintenance tracks, it's easy to wander the schedule and miss the sessions most relevant to you. Take fifteen minutes with the agenda ahead of time and build a rough plan. You can always adjust once you're there.

3. Budget real time for the exhibit floor. With around 65 exhibitors on-site, the floor isn't a five-minute walk-through- it's where a lot of the real, practical conversations happen. Block out unstructured time between sessions instead of trying to squeeze it into a break.

4. Dress for two full days on your feet. Between sessions, the exhibit floor, and networking in between, comfortable shoes matter more than you'd think.

5. Come with questions, not just a name badge. The regulators, manufacturers, and fellow installers in the room are some of the most knowledgeable people in the on-site industry - and most of them are genuinely happy to talk shop. The attendees who get the most out of SEPTIC-CON are the ones who show up ready to ask.

See you January 29–30, 2027 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center.