Featured Speakers

Daniel McFadden
Daniel McFadden
Raj Chetty
Raj Chetty
Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon
John Taylor
John Taylor
  • Online Program App (updated as of 7/2/19)

    This is an online version of the mobile conference app. Changes will be made here continuously so this will remain the best source for program information.

    Printed Program Preview (as of 6/3/19)
     

    Session Instructions and Information for Program Participants


    Friday, June 28

    12:00 pm-8:00 pm -- Registration Open
    12:30 pm-2:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions
    2:30 pm-4:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions
    4:30 pm-6:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions
    6:30 pm-8:00 pm -- Welcome Reception

    Saturday, June 29

    7:30 am-6:30 pm -- Registration Open
    8:15 am-10:00 am -- Concurrent Sessions
    10:15 am-12:00 n -- Concurrent Sessions
    12:30 pm-2:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions
    2:30 pm-4:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions
    4:30 pm-6:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions

    Sunday, June 30

    8:00 am-6:30 pm -- Registration Open
    8:15 am-10:00 am -- Concurrent Sessions
    10:15 am-12:00 n -- Keynote Address, Raj Chetty, Harvard University
    12:15 pm-2:15 pm -- Presidential Luncheon and Annual Business Meeting, Daniel McFadden, University of California, Berkeley
    2:30 pm-4:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions
    4:30 pm-6:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions
    6:15 pm-10:30 pm -- Sunset Harbor Cruise

    Monday, July 1

    8:00 am-6:30 pm -- Registration Open
    8:15 am-10:00 am -- Concurrent Sessions
    10:15 am-12:00 n -- Concurrent Sessions
    12:30 pm-2:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions
    2:30 pm-4:15 pm -- Featured Session "The Future of Potential Output Growth in the US Economy " with Robert Gordon, Northwestern University, and John Taylor, Stanford University
    4:30 pm-6:15 pm -- Concurrent Sessions

    Tuesday, July 2

    8:00 am-12:00 pm -- Registration Open
    8:15 am-10:00 am -- Concurrent Sessions
    10:15 am-12:00 n -- Concurrent Sessions

    Conference Close


     

     

  •  

    Hilton San Francisco Union Square

    333 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA
    Tel: 1-415-771-1400 | Fax: 1-415-202-7798

    Online Reservations:
    https://book.passkey.com/go/WEAI2019.

    Phone Reservations:
    1-800-HILTONS and reference group code WEA.

    Conference Group Rate:

    • $198 per night single or double. First night's deposit will be charged at the time of booking.
    • Taxes and fees are currently 16.45% per room per night (subject to change without notice).
    • Group rates apply June 26 through July 5, 2019, based on availability in contracted block.
       

    Cancellation Policy:

    • To avoid a one night's room and tax penalty, reservations must be cancelled at least 72 hours before scheduled check-in.
       

    General Information:

    • If making a reservation by phone, be sure to identify yourself as part of the WEAI conference to receive the reduced group rates.
    • Reservations must be made directly with the Hilton online or by phone.
    • Make your hotel reservations by May 31. The group rate will be available until May 31 or until the WEAI room block is full, whichever comes first. The conference room rates are available to registered participants for a limited time only.
    • Check-in is 3:00 p.m. Check-out is 12:00 n.
  • Registration

    • US$185 for members (increases to $230 after May 15, 2019)
    • US$265 for non-members (increases to $310 after May 15, 2019)
    • US$95 for student members (increases to $140 after May 15, 2019)
    • US$130 for student non-members (increases to $175 after May 15, 2019)
    • US$50 for non-economist guests over 18 years of age
       

    Discounts: WEAI Institutional Member affiliates are eligible for a 20% discount on registration fees. For the code to take the discount at checkout, see your designated representative or contact us at 1-714-965-8800 or [email protected].

    Benefits: 1) Conference program. 2) Admittance to all general and concurrent sessions; coffee breaks; and Welcome Reception. 3) Waiver of manuscript submission fees for current WEAI members submitting their conference paper to Economic Inquiry or Contemporary Economic Policy by December 31, 2019.

    Policies: Program participants must register to remain on the conference program. Everyone over the age of 18 must register, including spouses and adult guests. Badges are required at all conference events, including sessions, coffee breaks, receptions, and special activities. Program participants must register by May 15 in order to remain on the program.

    Special Activities

    Welcome Reception | Friday, June 28, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
    Take time to relax, renew old acquaintances, and make new friends at the WEAI Welcome Reception. There will be a cash bar.

    Presidential Luncheon and Annual Business Meeting | Sunday, June 30, 12:15 to 2:15 p.m.
    Features an address by WEAI President Daniel McFadden, University of California, Berkeley.
    Tickets are required and seating will be allotted on a first-come, first-served basis so reserve your ticket when you register to attend. Reservation deadline is June 1. Vegetarian meals are available upon request. Registered guests are welcome to attend the luncheon as well, provided a seat has been reserved ahead of time.

    Sunset Dinner Cruise | Sunday, June 30, 6:15 to 10:30 p.m.
    Embark on an exquisite dinner cruise aboard the San Francisco Spirit, a sleek luxury yacht with three decks to choose from and an expansive outdoor bow and sundeck. Enjoy front row views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island and the iconic SF skyline. Great food, freshly prepared by talented chefs in the ship's professional galley -- dinner buffet entree choices include grilled salmon, chicken cacciatore, and Thai vegetable curry, plus salad, sides, and dessert. Reserve your tickets for some fresh air and sunshine before a spectacular sunset shared with friends -- the perfect night! Price: $154 per person. Purchase tickets during the registration process, or log back in and add them to your registration (see 'Add Guest/Session+' link on registration order details).  Buses will depart the hotel between 6:15 to 6:40 p.m.  Buses will return guests to the hotel by 10:30 p.m.

    General Ticket Information

    • Children (of all ages) must have a ticket for all special activities.

    • Luncheon ticket(s) and any special activity ticket(s), will be included in the registration packet you will receive on-site.

    • Space is limited for special activities.

    • Please purchase or reserve all special activity tickets by June 1.

    • Cancellations for special activities must be made in writing by June 1 to receive a refund. We are unable to give refunds for late cancellations.

  • Cancellation & Refund Policies

    • Cancellations must be received in writing. Please e-mail [email protected].

    • Program participants must advise the participants in their session(s) of their cancellation.

    • Refunds for program participants:
      Volunteer abstract submission fees are non-refundable upon accept/reject decision. If a volunteer paper abstract is not accepted for the program, the full registration fee is refundable. For cancellation by a participant on or before March 1, fifty percent (50%) of registration fee is refundable. After March 1, the registration fee is non-refundable due to the high administrative cost of rearranging the affected sessions and participants.

    • Refunds for all others, not on the program: 
      On or before June 1, the full registration fee is refundable, less $25 handling fee. After June 1, the registration fee is non-refundable.

    • Membership dues are non-refundable.

    • Refunds will be processed after the conference and are subject to a $25 handling fee.
       

    Audio-Visual Equipment

    • LCD projectors and screens will be provided in each meeting room.

    • LAPTOP COMPUTERS WILL NOT BE PROVIDED, so coordinate with your fellow session participants if you need one available.

    • Mac users be sure to bring your Mini Display Port to HDMI and/or VGA adapter for connectivity to the projector.

    • There will be VGA and HDMI connections and there will be adapters available. 

    • If you have a newer computer we strongly encourage you to bring your own adapters as there are a limited amount of USB-C and thunderbolt adapters on-site.

    • If other equipment is required please call 714-965-8800 for prices and availability. Additional equipment is at your own expense.
       

    Important Dates

    March 1: Volunteer program participants' cancellation deadline with 50% refund.
    May 15: Registration deadline for program participants.
    May 15: $45 early registration discount ends.
    May 31: Last day to make room reservations at the conference rate, on a space available basis.
    June 1: Deadline to purchase/reserve special activity tickets.
    June 1: Paper presenters circulate papers to all session participants.
    June 1: Cancellation and refund deadline (for all except volunteer program participants, see March 1 above).
     

    Travel Visas

    • Requirements vary depending on your country of citizenship, so please read carefully and apply for your visa allowing ample lead time for processing. 

    • Review the latest visa information from the U.S. Department of State.

    • To request a letter of invitation after you've completed your conference registration, email [email protected].

  • Designed to help students prepare for the highly-competitive job market, this program offers selected Ph.D. candidates hands-on experience in job-market paper presentation skills and interview techniques. Since 2009 the workshop has been held in conjunction with WEAI’s Annual Conference, which in 2019 will be June 28–July 2, at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California. 

    2019 Selected Students and Workshop Groups

    Group #1 |  Social Welfare Outcomes of Federal and State Policies
    Advisor: Maureen Pirog, Indiana University 

    • David Arnold, Princeton University - Industrial Relations Section
      The Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Labor
    • Zachary Bleemer, University of California, Berkeley - Department of Economics
      Affirmative Action, Percent Plans, and the Return to Postsecondary Selectivity
    • Amrita Kulka, University of Wisconsin, Madison - Department of Economics
      Sorting into Neighborhoods and Schools: The Role of Minimum Lot Sizes
    • Cody Tuttle, University of Maryland, College Park - Department of Economics
      Racial Discrimination in Federal Sentencing: Evidence from Drug Mandatory Minimums 

    Group #2 | Health Economics
    Advisor: Jane Ruseski, West Virginia University 

    • Will Davis, Georgia State University - Department of Economics
      Should Kids Have Their School Lunch and Eat It Too? Estimating the Effect of Universal Free School Meals on Child Health
    • Angela Denis, University of Chicago - Department of Economics
      Health Depreciation Uncertainty and Working Decisions of Older Individuals
    • Krisztina Horvath, Boston College - Department of Economics
      Adverse Selection and Switching Costs in Health Insurance Marketplaces: Using Nudges to Fight the Death Spiral
    • Shuqiao Sun, University of Michigan - Department of Economics
      Dynamic Complementarities Very Early in Life: Family Planning, Early Childhood Education, and Lifetime Human Capital

    Group #3 | Applied Micro
    Advisor: Jason Shogren, University of Wyoming 

    • Matthew Gammans, University of California, Davis - Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
      Information and Adaptation: Time Use Response to Weather Forecasts
    • Alohi Nakachi, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management
      Indigenous Knowledge and the Tragedy of the Commons
    • Cory Smith, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Department of Economics
      Land Concentration and Long-run Development: Evidence from the Frontier United States
    • Jason Somerville, Cornell University - Department of Economics
      Choice-Set-Dependent Preferences and Salience: An Experimental Test

    Group #4 | Domestic and International Macro
    Advisor: Scott Schuh, West Virginia University 

    • Sylverie Herbert, Cornell University - Department of Economics
      Strategic Communication with Heterogeneous Beliefs
    • Karam Jo, University of Maryland, College Park - Department of Economics 
      Defensive Innovation and Firm Growth in the U.S.: Impact of International Trade
    • Yang Li, Simon Fraser University - Department of Economics
      Time-Varying Fear, Trading Volume, and The Great Recession
    • Jiannan Zhou, University of Colorado Boulder - Department of Economics
      Survey Evidence on Habit Formation
  • To maximize exposure to the conference attendees, table top exhibits will be held in the WEAI registration area for the duration of the conference. Coffee breaks will be set up in the same area to maximize exposure to conference participants.

    Exhibitors please consolidate your shipments in as few boxes as possible and let us know how many boxes we should expect to receive. If possible, can you e-mail [email protected] with shipping details and tracking numbers in order to minimize any shipping mishaps.

    Ship all boxes to:

    Hilton San Francisco Union Square
    333 O’Farrell Street
    San Francisco, CA 94102
    Attention:  Western Economic Association International Conference, June 28-July 2, 2019
    DELIVER TO CALIFORNIA ROOM

    Setup can start as early as 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 28 and tear down will be 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2.

    Exhibitors will be provided with one six-foot draped table and two chairs. Any other equipment will need to be brought in or arrangements made with hotel staff. Please refer to the Hilton San Francisco Vendor Policies and Procedures for complete information.

Featured Sessions

President-Elect Featured Session
"Minimum Wage"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Health Economics"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Aging"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Environmental Economics"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Economics of the Family"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Antitrust Policy"
President-Elect Featured Session
"North American Trade"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Finance Aspects of Retirement Saving"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Tax Policy"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Media Economics"
President-Elect Featured Session
"Slavery and Capitalism"

Participating Allied Societies

WEAI Conferences regularly include participation by Allied Societies. Allied Societies organize anywhere from just a few sessions to an entire conference including membership and board meetings. Whether your group is long-established or part of an emerging specialty, WEAI can help bring your members together and increase your visibility within the discipline.

Questions? Call 714-965-8800 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.