The Welcome Dinner brings the Convention community together for a show-stopping evening that blends celebration, recognition, and unforgettable entertainment.

The evening will open with remarks from ACEC Chair John Rathke, welcoming attendees and setting the stage for the week ahead. A special highlight of the program will be the presentation of the Distinguished Service Award, honoring an individual whose contributions have left a lasting mark on the profession.

Following the program, guests will enjoy an elegant dinner as the room shifts into a dynamic live performance by Carl Wockner. Known for his magnetic stage presence and rich, versatile vocals, Carl creates music in real time through live looping, layering sound, rhythm, and voice into fully realized compositions before the audience’s eyes.

For an audience of engineers, the performance offers more than entertainment. It is a masterclass in precision, structure, and creative problem-solving, as each element is built, refined, and integrated into a cohesive whole. The result is both technically impressive and deeply engaging, transforming the room into a shared, high-energy experience.

This is the evening where colleagues become friends, conversations flow, and the Convention truly comes to life.

Open to all Full, Sunday Daily, and Guest attendees.