Registration Information: Early Bird Rates end March 18th!

A reminder to Members: You must log in prior to going to the registration page in order to see your member registration rates. This year, we are again offering discounted rates for members with a retired or life member status. If you have this status, the option will appear for you.

Did you receive your PE after October 29th, 2025? SDES will treat you to this year's conference for FREE! Contact Nancy at 605.951.1004 or Executive@NSPE-SDES.org for more information.

If you have multiple people to register, click HERE and download a group registration form. Complete and submit to Nancy via email and an invoice will be developed for your entire group.

Not an SDES/NSPE Member? Join SDES, NSPE, and your local chapter today and receive $275 off your conference registration! Find our more about membership and join HERE.

Schedule

With nine hours of interactive PDH, including educational sessions and tours, plus social events and an exhibitor area -- the conference will be the perfect chance to learn about a variety of new topics, processes, and projects while catching up with colleagues, clients, and industry partners! 

Wednesday, April 29th, will kick off with the SDES Board Meeting, then you'll want to visit the Dakota Concrete Pipe Association Hospitality Room for an excellent opportunity to catch up with colleagues and friends!

Thursday, April 30th, is a full day of Professional Development Sessions at the Sioux Falls Convention Center with plenty of time to visit exhibitors. We'll also celebrate our engineers and engineering achievements from the last year. Thursday afternoon we'll be boarding the buses for two tour options. Following the tours, come socialize at the Thursday night social, then head downtown Sioux Falls for dinner and more.

On Friday, May 1st, we'll wrap up the conference with more Professional Development Sessions continuing through noon, giving you time to enjoy Sioux Falls for the weekend or drive back west.

Professional Development Sessions

The Eastern Chapter Planning Committee has done an amazing job of gathering engaging presenters and educational sessions. Here is a list of just some of our presenters. Check back often to read more about the presenters and the topics they'll be discussing.

Krista May, Infrastructure Design Group: Deep Utility Trench Construction - Arrowhead Parkway

Katie Adair, SDSU: NOI Submittal Procedures and Closeouts

Joseph Block, MnDOT: Electric Aviation

T.J. Yerdon, HDR: Urban Drainage Modeling for Transportation Projects

Patrick Skain, Bartlett & West: Reevaluating Speed Limits: Balancing Safety, Efficiency, and Driver Perception

Jeremy Walgrave, SEH: Reevaluating Speed Limits: Balancing Safety, Efficiency, and Driver Perception

Jim Weidrich, Woods Fuller: CAMR & Construction Contracts

Jennica Hartman & Mark Meisinger, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig: SD 11 Corridor Study

Luke Rogers, HDR: Engineers without Borders

Chad Nelson & Kyle Hubers, Henry Carlson: SDSU Frost Arena

Jason Reaves, SDACPA: Concrete Jointing and Sealing on Sites

Toby Crow, AGC: Constructability

Mike Brever, DAPA: Asphalt Paving

Juia Harrod, MWM Design Group: Time Management Practices to Boost Productivity

Mitchell Workmon, ISG: Sanford Sports Turf Projects

Joe Honner, HDR: BMU Water Treatment Plant

Thom Jacson, Dunham Engineering: Data Centers

Catherine Dekkenga, JLG: Augie Midco Hockey Arena Project

Lucas Kirkpatrick, USACE: Fort Randall Dam Turbine Replacement

Julia Harrod, MWM Design Group: Understanding AE Firm Financials

Carl Carlson, Cemcast: Concrete Precast Storm Structures

And More!!!!

Tours

This year we once again have two tour options, in addition to on-site educational session options. Tours will fill up fast and are on a first come, first served basis -- so register early! Our tour options include:

Tour One will include stops at Mapleton Golf Course and the Sioux Falls Water Reclamation Facility.

• The Mapleton Golf Course was constructed from 2023 to 2025, with play opening late in 2025. Construction included an 18-hole championship golf course, driving range, practice facilities, 6-hole short course, clubhouse, pro-shop, locker rooms, fine dining restaurant, member lounge, private meeting spaces, maintenance facility, cart storage, and 12 king suite member lodging accommodations. The tour will highlight the beautiful clubhouse/pro-shop, member lodging, practice facilities, and a little of the golf course itself.
• The Sioux Falls Water Reclamation Facility underwent a $215 million project to modernize the 40-year-old facility while maintaining uninterrupted service for more than 200,000 regional customers. The tour will take us through both the updated and newly constructed facilities that expanded treatment capacity from 21 MGD to 30 MGD. The structural scope alone included 3.2 million pounds of reinforcing steel, 26,086 cubic yards of concrete, and more than 3,500 concrete test cylinders. The Water Reclamation Facility project recently won the SDES Eastern Chapter project of the year! 

Tour Two will include stops at Jacobson Plaza and The Steel District/ River Greenway. 

• The Jacobson Plaza project began in 2023 and opened in summer 2025 in Falls Park West. The project had an approximate cost of $18.5 million. This tour will highlight the newly constructed restaurant/ warming house (The Lodge), a 14,000 sqft ice ribbon, an inclusive playground, a splash pad, and the new dog park.
• The Steel District is made up of three buildings, The District Tower, The District Lofts, and The Canopy by Hilton Sioux Falls Downtown. A project estimated at $200 million, the space includes several restaurants, convention space, apartments, condominiums, parking ramp, office space and retail space. The River Greenway project consists of multiple phases of construction along the Big Sioux River downtown in Sioux Falls, with the latest updates taking place adjacent to The Steel District. The latest phase, otherwise known as the Lloyd Landing improvements, provided a riverwalk path, 30′ x 80′ lighted shelter, dog relief station, flexible field turf area, landscaping and access to the Big Sioux River. The historic low-head dam was also replaced as part of the project. 

Exhibit, Advertise, Sponsor an Event, or Partner with SDES

SDES Conferences and activities would not be possible without the generous exhibitors, advertisers, sponsors, and partners we work with in the industry. Thank you for the continuous involvement throughout the year that supports our scholarship fund, the many other activities that help encourage future engineers, and the events that support our other community and industry programs. 

Learn all about SDES Conference Exhibit, Advertising, Sponsorship and Partner opportunities by clicking on the button below.

Conference Lodging / Room Block

Room blocks are reserved for the evenings of April 29th and 30th at the Holiday Inn City Centre in downtown Sioux Falls at a rate of $139/night + taxes/fees. Individual reservations can be made by calling the Holiday Inn at 605.339.2000 and requesting the South Dakota Engineering Society room rate or by using this online link Holiday Inn. The rate will be available until March 31st, as long as rooms are available. We highly recommend booking early.

Thank you to our SDES 2025-26 Platinum, Gold and Silver Partners! 

This conference and other SDES activities are only made possible through the ongoing support of our industry partners. Find out more about additional Partnership and Sponsorship opportunities by clicking on the Sponsor button above.

Platinum

 

Gold

Silver