On site tent and RV camping at the Cowlitz County Events Center are available for $20 a person, a night.

While there are some power hookups for RVs on a first come first serve basis, there are no plumbing hookups provided. There are bathrooms with running water at the Events Center, but no showers.

To view some nearby motels and hotels, just click the links below:

The Best Western Aladdin Inn

Town House Motel 

Comfort Inn and Suites Kelso 

The GuestHouse Kelso 

The Sleep Inn Kelso 

Or check for a hotel online! Conference will be held at the Cowlitz County Events Center located at 1900 7th Ave. Longview, WA

We invite members to bring examples of their forged works to display in the Member Gallery at Spring Conference, and to also bring any handmade or handforged items they’d like to donate to our Live and Silent Auctions!

The Member Gallery will run throughout the event. Just bring any items you’d like to display so they can be tagged with information before being added to the gallery.

The Live Auction will take place on Saturday at 6pm, during our Dinner Banquet at the Cook Shack. Winners can pick up their items at the Cook Shack after the event or can arrange for them to be picked up at the Mentoring Center before the close of Conference on Sunday.  

The Silent Auction will be held in the Mentoring Center, and will open on Friday morning and close at 9pm Saturday evening. Winners can pick up their items in the Mentoring Center after 9pm on Saturday or before 12 noon on Sunday.

If you have something to donate, auction items can be dropped off at the Registration Table in the Mentoring Center so they can be labeled and listed as up for bid!

Join us at the conference cook shack and bring a mess kit!

The Dinner Banquet will be held at 5:30pm on Saturday, and we invite Conference Attendees to bring something to add to our Potluck Dinner at 5:30pm on Friday. Check the Conference Schedule for daily Cook Shack mealtimes.

To cut down on disposable plates and utensils at mealtime, remember the Make your own Mess Kit Competition. To join, just forge one or more utensils as simple or as complex as you like. You can include a plate or bowl made by hand or just bring one that you use at home.

The Mess Kit Competition will be held at 12:30pm on Friday at the Cook Shack. Just show up with your mess kit to enter it in the competition for prizes! Prizes will be awarded for creativity and craftsmanship.

Even if you don’t forge your own cutlery or join the competition, we encourage everyone to bring a mess kit for meals at the Cook Shack!

NWBA Spring Conference is open to NWBA Members Only. Click Here to learn how you can join our membership and gain access to a wealth of events focused on forging.

To attend Spring Conference, you must be a current NWBA Member! Not sure if you need to renew your membership? Check the address label on your most recent issue of the Hot Iron News to see your membership expiration date.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NWBA OR TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP

Submit the name(s) you want printed on conference button(s) below, doublecheck your Registration totals in the Shopping Cart, and hit the button to check out

Spring Conference Registration:

Quantities can be adjusted in the Shopping Cart located top right on a computer or at the bottom of the page on mobile devices 

Three Day Conference Pass: $100 per NWBA Member 

Camping:$20 per person, per night (tent or RV)

Day Passes: $75 per NWBA Member only available in-person at the Registration Table during Spring Conference:  

This year’s Spring Conference will be held from Friday, May 17th at 8am to Sunday, May 19th at 12 noon at the NWBA Mentoring Center in Longview, Washington!

Set up for the event will start on the afternoon of Thursday, May 16th. If you’d like to help set up on Thursday or help break down on Sunday afternoon, please email webmaster@blacksmith.org to be added to the volunteer list.

The NWBA Events Center is located on the grounds of the Cowlitz County Events Center at 1900 7th Ave in Longview, Washington. 

Entry to Spring Conference is for Current NWBA Members Only. To sign up or renew your membership Click Here. 

Online Registration for Spring Conference will open March 1st and close May 4th. Spring Conference Registration is 100 per adult member, helping us cover the cost of site rental, demonstrator compensation and travel, hands-on workshops, forging competitions, open forges, youth and beginners forges and more.  

2024 Spring Conference Schedule

We’re happy to announce that this year’s Main Demonstrators are John Switzer and Evan Wilson!

Friday, May 17th
Registration & Merch Table Open in Mentoring Center
8:00am – 10:00am // 1:00pm – 3:00pm // 8:00pm – 9:00pm

7:30am – 8:45am: Coffee and Breakfast at Cook Shack
9:00am – 12:00pm: Evan Wilson Demo pt.1 in MC
9:00am – 12:00pm: Youth and Beginners Forge with Ben Czyhold + Open Forge

12:30pm: Hands-on Workshop Participation Drawing at Cook Shack
12:30pm: Cutlery Competition Judging at Cook Shack
12:30pm – 1:45pm: Lunch and General Meeting at Cook Shack

2:00pm – 5:00pm: John Switzer pt.1 in Demo Barn
2:00pm – 5:00pm: Hands On Workshop with Andrew Windisch in the MC
2:00pm – 5:00pm: Youth and Beginners Forge with Ben Czyhold + Open Forge

5:30pm – 7:00pm: Potluck Dinner at Cook Shack
7:00pm – 10:00pm: Black Smoke Alley
8:00pm – Late: Forging Competition Starts in Mentoring Center

Flexible throughout Friday
* Open Repousse Table with Louie Raffloer
* Silent Auction
* Archives and Member Galleries

Saturday, May 18th
Registration & Merch Tables Open in Mentoring Center
8:00am – 10:00am // 1:00pm – 3:00pm // 8:00pm – 9:30pm

7:30am-8:45am: Coffee and Breakfast at Cook Shack
8:30am: Hands-on Workshop Participation Drawing at Cook Shack

9:00am – 12:00pm: Evan Wilson Demo pt.2 in MC
9:00am – 12:00pm: John Switzer Demo pt.2 in Demo Barn
9:00am – 12:00pm: Youth and Beginners Forge with Ben Czyhold + Open Forge

12:30pm – 1:45pm: Lunch at Cook Shack

2:00pm – 5:00pm: Evan Wilson Demo pt. 3 in MC
2:00pm – 5:00pm: Youth and Beginners Forge with Ben Czyhold + Open Forge

5:30pm: Dinner Banquet
6:00pm: Live Auction
7:30pm: Ringing of the Anvil
8:00pm – Late: Open Forge and New NWBA Sign Assembly in MC
8:00pm – 10:00pm: Black Smoke Alley

9:00pm: Silent Auction Closes – Winners Announced, Collect Your Winnings!

Flexible throughout Saturday
* Open Repousse Table with Louie Raffloer
* Silent Auction
* Archives and Member Galleries

Sunday, May 19th
Registration and Merch Tables Open in Mentoring Center
9:00am – 12:00pm

9:00am – 12:00pm: Hot tips with Rashelle Hams in MC
9:00am – 12:00pm: Open Forge at the Youth and Beginner’s Station
9am – 12pm: Silent Auction Winners Collect Your Items!
12:00pm: Conference Concludes
12:00pm – 4:00pm: Volunteers help with Conference Breakdown! 

If you’d like to join the Conference Committee and help with behind-the-scenes planning and logistics, email webmaster@blacksmith.org for more information.

Only NWBA Members can attend Spring Conference! If you’re not a member but would like to join, CLICK HERE to learn how

Sunday, May 19th
Registration and Merch Tables Open in Mentoring Center
9:00am – 12:00pm

9:00am – 12:00pm: Hot tips with Rashell Hams in MC
9:00am – 12:00pm: Open Forge at the Youth and Beginner’s Station
9am – 12pm: Silent Auction Winners Collect Your Items!
12:00pm: Conference Concludes
12:00pm – 4:00pm: Volunteers help with Conference Breakdown! 

If you’d like to join the Conference Committee and help with behind-the-scenes planning and logistics, email webmaster@blacksmith.org for more information.

Only NWBA Members can attend Spring Conference! If you’re not a member but would like to join, CLICK HERE to learn how

A brand new sign for the Mentoring Center, one with a solid backplate and handforged letters, is in the works!

Templates for the forged letters were handed out at Spring Conference last year. If you grabbed one, this is your reminder to bring your forged letter to our next Spring Conference! If you can’t make the event, you can mail your letter to the nwba by emailing webmaster@blacksmith.org for an address.

If you grabbed a letter but don’t think you’ll complete it before Spring Conference, no worries. Just send an email to webmaster@blacksmith.org and we can can let someone else take over.

Tons of thanks to Derek Lanhart, Bridge City Steel, and to everyone forging the elements to make this project possible!

NWBA Members, we’re interested in your story!

If you’d like to share, we’re starting a “Meet a Member” segment to be featured in articles in the Hot Iron News and on our social media accounts. We’d love to hear from you and learn how you got interested in blacksmithing, what keeps you going at the forge, what projects you’re working on and more. 

If you’d like to be featured, just fill out the questionnaire below. Answer any questions you’d like, and if you have any questions about our Meet a Member promotions, please contact webmaster@blacksmith.org

If you’d like to demo at one of our monthly Mentoring Center Events or instruct a class at the MC, fill out the questionnaire below and we’ll get in touch!

FINANCE & BUDGET COMMITTEE: Darby Pereira (Chair), Pele Warnock, John Karlik, Kellen Bateham, John Huffstutter
• Assets and Inventories Subcommittee: Derek Lanhart (Chair), Pele Warnock
• Auctions Subcommittee: John Paul (Chair), Eric Sprado, Andrea Lisch, Kellen Bateham
• Donations Subcommittee: John Karlik (Chair), Bhakti Sa
• Insurance Subcommittee: Pele Warnock (Chair)

MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE: Steve Lafferty (Chair), Adam Murray, Lee Cordochorea, Patricia Dawson
• Advisory Subcommittee: Mark Manley (Chair), Kellen Bateham, Rashelle Hams, Berkley Tack, Lee Cordochorea, Jim Garrett
• Estate Management Subcommittee: Jim Garrett (Chair), Jim Carley, Bob Johnson, Jeff Holtby, John Karlik
• Youth Program Subcommittee: Pele Warnock (Chair), Rashelle Hams, Peter & Anthony Reich,
• Archives Subcommittee: Andrea Lisch (Chair), Jeff Wilson, Peter Clark
• Grants Subcommittee: Pele Warnock (Chair), Clair Guy, Patricia Dawson, John Paul
• Library Subcommittee: Lee Cordochorea (Chair), Morgan Kirk
• Board Training Subcommittee: Lee Cordochorea (Chair), Dorothy Cordochorea, John Huffstutter
• Safety Subcommittee: Byron Johnson (Chair), Morgan Kirk

EVENTS & PROGRAMS COMMITTEE: Derek Lanhart (Chair), Silas Maddox, Bart Turner, Adam Murray, Kellen Bateham, David Tuthill
• Audio Visual Subcommittee: Lee Cordochorea (Chair), Mark Manley
• Mentoring Center, Education, and Workshops Subcommittee: David Tuthill (Chair), Silas Maddox, Kellen Bateham, Derek Lanhart
• Swaptoberfest 2023 Subcommittee: Derek Lanhart (Chair), David Tuthill, Silas Maddox, Kellen Bateham, Bart Turner
• Communications Committee: Kellen Bateham, Patricia Dawson, Clair Guy
• Digital Subcommittee: Kellen Bateham (Chair), Brian Campbell, Pele Warnock, William Ottaviani
• Manuals Subcommittee: Lee Cordochorea (Chair), John Huffstutter
• HIN Subcommittee: Kellen Bateham (Chair), Patricia Dawson

NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS COMMITTEE: Jim Garrett (Chair), Clair Guy, Kellen Bateham

SUPPORT STAFF:
• Hot Iron News Editor/ Membership: Patricia Dawson 541-969-8563 / nwbainfo@gmail.com 
• Website/Social Media: Clair Guy 503-826-9287 / blacksmitharchives@gmail.com