CHECK IN

To check in, visit the registration desk near the north entrance of Mystic Lake Center. If you registered, your name badge will be ready and waiting for you!

Any invoiced registrations must be fully paid before gaining admittance to the conference.

WALK-INS

Walk-ins are welcome! Any walk-in attendees must pay on site with a credit card.
Member: $500
Non-Member: $600

TOURS

Tour attendees must be pre-registered to attend tours. All tour attendees received an email with details of their tour.

EVENT CENTER VS. CASINO

Mystic Lake has an Event Center entrance AND a hotel/casino entrance - make sure you get to the correct one! These entrances are on opposite sides of Mystic Lake. Watch signs closely when entering the Mystic Lake campus to make sure you get to the correct location.

If you are coming only to the conference and not checking in at the hotel, go directly to Mystic Lake Center on the North side of the campus. There is a self-park lot outside of the center.

If you are planning to stay overnight at the hotel, go to Mystic Lake Casino Hotel on the South side of the campus. There is complimentary valet at the hotel entrance and self-park lots to the south and west of the casino/hotel.

Please reference the map below for more clarification. If you happen to go to the wrong entrance you might end up getting in your steps for the day. But don't worry - the event center and casino are connected!

TRANSIT OPTIONS

Mystic Lake Shuttle
There are several free shuttle routes to/from the following locations:
• Mystic Express: Departs from the Transit Station at Mall of America
• Northtown Route: Serving Coon Rapids, Blaine and Columbia Heights
• Brooklyn Park Route: Serving Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis
• St. Paul Route: Serving St. Paul
• St. Cloud Route: Serving Waite Park, St. Cloud, Monticello, Buffalo, and Plymouth
• East Side Route: Serving St. Paul and Eden Prairie

To sign up for ride updates: Text BUS to 57556 to receive text alerts about Mystic Lake bus route changes, cancellations and updates.
Please note: Most routes arrive late morning. Also, the shuttle drops off at the casino side, so you will need to walk over to the conference center.

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority
In the south metro area, MVTA Routes 447 and 495 serve Mystic Lake. For Route 495, there are two park and ride lots:
• Shakopee: Marschall Road Transit Station (Highway 169 and County Road 17. 1615 Weston Court )
• Burnsville: Burnsville Transit Station (100 East Highway 13)
• Savage: Savage Park & Ride (14121 Huntington Avenue)

Get more information on the MVTA routes.

Carpool or Vanpool
If you know others going to the conference that live in your area, contact them to setup a carpool or vanpool. This can reduce fuel usage, improve air quality and decrease wear and tear on roads.

PARKING
Plenty of free parking is available immediately outside the Mystic Lake Center entrance. If you are staying overnight in the hotel, please use the lot closest to the main hotel entrance. If you are attending only for the day, please use the Mystic Lake Center entrance. Complimentary EV charging stations are located onsite as well.

View the full agenda and timeline HERE.

View the EVENT MAP to see where you need to be!

Special thanks to our Moderators!

Listed Alphabetically by Last Name

Robert Craggs, Craggs Consulting, LLC
Fred Doran, Burns & McDonnell
Abby Drehmel, Waste Wise
Susan Heffron, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Lauren Gaffron, Waste Wise
Paul Gardner, Recycling Association of Minnesota
Jennefer Klennert, HDR
Angie Lemar, Foth Infrastructure and Environment
Crystal McNally, Dem-Con Companies
Kristin Pierskalla, Hennepin County
Lewis Segl, Metropolitan Airports Commission
Cami Van Abel, Foth Infrastructure and Environment
Caleb Werth, US Composting Council
Audrey Woychick, Waste Wise
Maggie Yauk, Anoka County

The conference provides dedicated wireless internet access throughout the meeting space.

Network: WiMeet1

Username: ramswana2026

Password: ramswana2026

BOOTH & COMPANY
1 Apex Water Solutions, LLC
2 Aljon
3 Dakota Prairie Composting
4 Amazon Paint, LLC
5 Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations
6 Hennen Equipment, Inc.-Komptech
7 Cascade Cart Solutions
8 Burns & McDonnell
9 Evergreen Recycling Mattress Recycling
10 Pac-Tech
11 North American Trailers
12 Plasma Blue
13 Rehrig Pacific Company
14 Watershed Geo
15 Rotochopper Inc.
16 Sanitation Products, Inc.
17 RRT Design & Construction
18 Excel Baler LLC
19 DMH
20 SCS Engineers
21 Recovery Systems Company, Inc.
22 Paradigm Software LLC
23 WIS
24 Titan Machinery Inc
25 PaintCare
26 Stantec
27 Busch Systems International, Inc.
28 Waste Management
29 EPG Companies Inc
30 Liberty Diversified
31 Houston Engineering Inc.
32 Logistics Recycling, Inc.
35 Lorentz Energy

OUTDOOR
DMH
MacQueen
Sanitation Products Inc.

The menu offers vegan and vegetarian-friendly options for every meal. It has also been modified where possible to be more sustainable!

COMPLIMENTARY BEVERAGES(Served all day)
Freshly Brewed Colombian Coffee: Regular and Decaf
Hot Teas
Assorted Soft Drinks and Iced Teas: Regular, Diet and Decaf
Ice Water Stations

DAY 1 BREAKFAST
Mystic’s Signature Banana Bread and Cinnamon Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Toasted Granola and Chilled Fruit Yogurt Parfait
Sliced Fresh Fruits and Berries (V, Ve, GF)
Orange and Cranberry Juices

DAY 1 LUNCH
Baby Iceberg Lettuce (V) Tomatoes, Scallions, Bleu Cheese, Ranch and Balsamic Dressings (Bleu Cheese served on the side)
Creamy Coleslaw
Potato Salad
Deviled Egg Salad
Herb Chicken Salad
Bean Salad (Ve)
Three Sisters Soup (Ve)
Assorted Breads and Rolls
Assortment of Selected Cold Meats and Cheeses: Roast Turkey, Smokehouse Ham, Genoa Salami, Cheddar, Swiss and Provolone Cheese
Mayonnaise, Horseradish and Imported Mustards
Hummus
Roasted Tomatoes, Balsamic Portobello, Lettuce, Tomato Basil Wrap
Butterscotch Blondies, Double Chocolate Fudge Brownies, Milk Chocolate Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

HAPPY HOUR
Mini Caprese Bites (GF, V)
Fig Jam & Goat Cheese Tart
Tuscan Vegetable Spiedini (GF, V)
Vegetable Spring Roll (V)

DAY 2 BREAKFAST
Sliced Fresh Seasonal Fruits and Berries (Ve)
Bakery Fresh Assortment of Sweet Rolls, Muffins and French Butter Croissants Sweet Butter, Marmalade and Assorted Jams
Yogurt
Granola
Scrambled Eggs: Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese and Chives
Cinnamon Swirl French Toast: Pure Maple Syrup
Hickory Smoked Bacon
Link Sausage
Hash Browns
Orange and Cranberry Juices

DAY 2 LUNCH
Baby Field Greens, Choice of Ranch or French Dressings
Coleslaw
Watermelon Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese, Basil and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Buns
Cheddar and Swiss Cheese
Fresh Buttered Corn
Jo-Jo Fries
Pulled Pork
Southern Fried Chicken
Sweet Buttered Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Cheese Cornbread
Vegan: BBQ Slow Smoked 'Brisket' (Made with veggie or fruit)
Apple Pie, Chocolate Pecan Pie

The conference has been approved for the continuing education credits listed below. If you requested to receive credit when you registered, you will receive a CEU certificate within three weeks of the conference. There will be a CEU sign up sheet at registration as well.

Minnesota Department of Health
This conference has be pre-approved for 5 MDH credits per day (10 total for the full conference).

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
This conference has be pre-approved for 5 MPCA credits per day (10 total for the full conference).

In an effort to lead by example, we are committed to integrating sustainability into our events as best as possible. We focus on applying sustainability to menu choices, waste and recycling management, exhibitor best practices, attendee participation, and communications and marketing. Learn more HERE.

FOOD & BEVERAGE
At Mystic Lake Center, back of house food waste prevention will include composting and working with Chef to repurpose unused ingredients.

In addition to reducing food waste, we're reducing our impact by opting for more plant based menu items, bulk food options (rather than individually packaged) and reusable dishware. YOU can help out by (1) bringing your own water bottle/thermos and (2) placing dishware and recyclables on trays located throughout the event space.

PAPER & PRINTED MATERIALS
We're limiting printed items by using digital signage and providing a QR code to access the conference program. Consider reducing your own paper use by taking photos of business cards or connecting online. It all adds up!

TRANSPORTATION
There are a handful of public transportation options to Mystic Lake, listed in the Mystic Lake: Where to Go & How to Get There dropdown. Carpooling is also a good option!

Complimentary EV charging stations are located onsite as well.

Join the conversation on your favorite social media platform using hashtag #RAMSWANA2026

Special thanks to the Conference Planning Comittee for their hard work!

Listed Alphabetically by Last Name

Michael Bennett, Recycling Association of Minnesota

Megan Dobratz, Native Sustainability

Matthew Evans, Burns & McDonnell

Robert Friend, Sustainable Synergy Solutions, LLC

Mark Hackbarth, Vonco

Susan Heffron, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Paul Gardner, Recycling Association of Minnesota

Chris Guillemette, Vonco

Jennefer Klennert, HDR

Crystal McNally, Dem-Con

Kristin Pierskalla, Hennepin County

Michael Reed, MBA, Ramsey County

Steve Schiefelbein, Republic Services

Lewis Segl, Metropolitan Airports Commission

Angela Trygg, Native Sustainability

Maggie Yauk, Anoka County

Emily Youngs, Events By Emily, LLC

SURVEY LINK

An electronic survey will be sent via email shortly after the conference. We ask that you take a few minutes to share your feedback. The results will help us improve our future conferences.

Cancellations received in writing on or before February 28, 2026 are fully refundable. No refunds will be allowed after February 28, 2026. Non-payment or non-attendance does not constitute cancellation. Notice of substitutions must be made in writing and sent to: eventsbyemilymn@comcast.net.

Member pricing is applicable only to current Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) or Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) members. If you can not verify your membership, you will be billed at the non-member rate.

The event location is accessible to persons with disabilities and persons who are wheelchair users. For individuals requiring accommodations, please contact eventsbyemilymn@comcast.net prior to the event.

By registering for the RAM/SWANA Conference, you consent to be photographed, filmed and/or recorded, and such photography, video and/or recording may be used for reporting, promotion and advertising purposes now and in future development. You are not eligible for any form of compensation including but not limited to commissions, royalties, or product discounts.

Questions? Please contact Emily Youngs at eventsbyemilymn@comcast.net