Tomorrow begins CWI 2014. The conference this year is on the war in 1864 and features a wide array of speakers. The program reflects an impressive assortment of historians covering enough topics to please just about everyone. This year there will be over 400 attendees and 38 speakers and guides.
The CWI staff has been busy this week preparing for so many civil warriors descending upon our normally quiet (at least in the summer) liberal arts college. Our staff has been going over guest lists, checking names off spreadsheets, answering phone and email inquiries, creating nametags, folding and refolding merchandise, stacking books and boxes, and making the college ballroom a welcome place for conference guests. This afternoon culminated in the assembly line creation of over 400 guest swag bags, a process that took five people 2.5 hours.
Know that as the weekend progresses we will be posting summaries – field reports – on the conference as it unfolds on this blog. Also, make sure to follow the CWI Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates throughout the weekend. Saturday’s lectures will be broadcast on C-Span 3 American History TV. Tune in and stay tuned.