One of the maritime industry's premiere annual events, the 2004 SNAME Maritime Technology Conference & Exposition, is scheduled to grace scenic Washington, D.C., scheduled from September 29 to October 1, 2004. Washington, D.C., the center of U.S. political power, is an appropriate host for the event, as the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) annual meeting and exhibition are well-renowned for bringing together an enviable gathering of the maritime industry's elite minds. The technical program consists of two SNAME tracks and two Ship Production Symposium tracks, with a first time ever one-hour time slot on Thursday dedicating all four tracks to student presentations.