2024 Great Lakes Beach Association Conference

Oct 1- 3 in Grand Portage, MN, on the Grand Portage Reservation.

The 22nd Annual GLBA Conference gathered at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino on the Grand Portage Reservation. Over three days attendees heard from experts on beach monitoring—including sessions on microbial source tracking, rapid detection, harmful algal blooms, traditional ecological knowledge, community science, and predictive modelling. The event featured a drum ceremony, plenaries, panels, tours of the monument and High Falls Park, student poster presentations, and a keynote by Grand Portage Anishinaabe photographer Travis Novitsky. Supported by sponsors such as the U.S. EPA, IDEXX, BioRad, GT Molecular, and SwimSmart, the conference fostered collaboration and innovation in Great Lakes beach science and public health.

Click here to see details and full agenda.

2023 Great Lakes Beach Association Conference

The 2023 GLBA Conference was held in Sturgeon Bay, WI at the Stone Harbor Resort, Oct 16-18,2023

2022 Great Lakes Beach Association Conference

OCT 31-NOV 2 2022, MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN

October 31 - November 2 in Muskegon, Michigan was 20th Annual Great Lakes Beach Association (GLBA) Conference. It was hosted by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) with the Great Lakes Beach Association.

Widely considered to be a premier event by all Great Lakes business and government stakeholders, this three-day program provides an outstanding opportunity to hear from top experts in their fields about the current status and science behind Great Lakes beaches, successful beach restoration projects, Best Management Practices for beaches, and remarkable transformations of the Great Lakes waterfront. Conference attendees include public health managers, sanitarians, scientists, local officials, planners, students, and interested citizens from the Great Lakes Region.

2019 Great Lakes Beach Association Conference

The 20th GLBA conference Oct 8-11, 2019, Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Michigan

The 2019 GLBA conference took place as part the State of Lake Huron Conference (SOLH) on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Michigan, Oct 8-11, 2019. The conference included associated GLBA and SOLH workshops and field trips.

The conference was co-hosted by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, the Great Lakes Beach Association, and the Council of the Great Lakes Region with generous support from sponsors and local university hosts. SOLH19 is the third in an annual series of State of Lake conferences aimed at bringing together lake-specific research, policy development, management, education, and nonprofit organizations to broaden the discussion and provide diverse interaction among stakeholders.