ALEXANDRIA, VA – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) recently released the schedule for the top-notch educational sessions to be held during the 2006 IBWA Convention and Trade Show at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, from October 3 - 6, 2006.  The following education sessions represent only five and a half Continuing Education Units (CEUs) of the 24.5 CEUs available during the convention.  IBWA certified sessions provide the CEUs that are necessary for Certified Plant Operator accreditation and will provide innovative ideas and technologies specifically targeted to the bottled water industry.

Education session topics include the following:

• Handling Consumer Product Complaints (1.0 CEU)
  o This interactive session will teach how to develop a consumer response policy for handling consumer product complaints. Additionally, different types of consumer complaint handling procedures will be discussed as well as flowchart development processes.  Data management and control is also an important element in administering an effective consumer complaint system, and this session will show attendees how to utilize the data collected to not only improve the product, but also to effectively resolve all varieties of consumer complaints.
• A Bottled Water Technical and Regulatory Primer (2.5 CEUs)
  o Formerly titled “Bottled Water 101” this session is a comprehensive review of bottled water industry basics.  Perfect for those new to the bottled water industry and for those wanting a quick refresher course, this session is great for Certified Plant Operators, owners, sales, and marketing personnel alike.
• WHO Calcium and Magnesium Advice (2.0 CEUs)
  o The World Health Organization (WHO) has been advised to recommend that calcium and magnesium be reconstituted in drinking waters that have been treated to remove calcium and magnesium, so long as it does not interfere with what is necessary for integrity of the water distribution pipes. This session will discuss water softening and reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment and the significant differences between naturally soft and softened water supplies.

For more about the educational sessions, registration, award programs, schedules, and other information about the 2006 IBWA Convention and Trade Show, log on to the IBWA website at http://www.bottledwater.org/public/conv2006/ or call 703-683-5213.

- # # # -

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters.  Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers.  IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products.  Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices, that in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations.  A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Model Code of Practice is an annual unannounced plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of members’ brands, please contact IBWA Manager of Communications Tom Gardner at 703-647-4607 or tgardner@bottledwater.org.