Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The Local Arrangements Committee is excited to invite you to the 84th Annual Meeting of the Western Section AUA in Monterey, California at Portola Hotel & Spa. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Monterey Bay, the Portola Hotel reflects the captivating spirit of a rich, historical setting surrounded by nature and is within walking distance to the world-class Monterey Bay Aquarium, pristine beaches, Monterey Bay Harbor, Fisherman’s Wharf and many excellent dining and entertainment options. The Monterey Peninsula is also home to many wineries, the legendary John Steinbeck who wrote the tale of the Cannery Row, and nearby to Carmel and the scenic 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. Monterey is bursting with new additions and has been greatly enhanced since our last meeting here in 1999.

The Program Committee has planned an excellent and comprehensive scientific program. Using feedback from prior years, there has been continuous improvement in quality and relevancy of topics, speakers, format, and content which have resulted in evaluation scores averaging 4.6 (out of 5 being the best score). This is a remarkable statistic and a testament to the caliber of educational programming one can expect to experience at the Western Section.

We encourage you to bring your spouse. The Western Section offers a wonderful spouse package – it’s a great way to meet the other spouses. Package includes continental breakfasts and activities in spouse hospitality lounge, a special outing to Carmel, as well as all of the social events. The Western Section strives to provide you one of the highest quality educational and networking experiences possible. Please come see why many consider this event to be “the best week in urology!”

Dr. David Benjamin and Kris Benjamin
General Arrangements Chairman – 2008