Ron Law isn't a professional meeting planner. But as executive administrator for the Idaho Public Utility Commission, he was appointed conference coordinator when it was Idaho's turn to host the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners last year. As conference coordinator, Law was responsible for handling all meeting logistics, from recruiting speakers to organizing social activities - and for introducing almost 200 attendees from across the West to his hometown of Boise.

While the objectives of the program were mostly educational, Law and his staff also wanted to maintain the conference's tradition of having fun. "The main goals were to have a good program that would be informative and deal with the current issues that commissioners are facing, give them the opportunity to see what's being done in other states, and educate them about any new federal legislation that may affect them," Law said. "But you also try to do something a little different from what was done in years past, and here in Boise we're fortunate to have whitewater river rafting, which I thought might be a fun activity." The only problem?

The conference was to be held in June, which is high water season on the Payette River, which runs near Boise. "The river is at its highest at that time of year, so when I first had the idea [for a whitewater rafting excursion], my staff and I thought it might be too risky," Law said.

Since Law had never personally experienced the rapids, he did a little research by taking a rafting trip of his own. "After I went on that rafting trip and saw how well the rafting company did taking care of us and making sure everything was safe, we weren't worried," he said. "I was thoroughly impressed and thought it would be a great event.

"Then I felt the only risk was the possibility that the weather might dampen the trip," Law continued. "You can plan and do everything you can to make sure something goes well, and sometimes you have to depend on luck. But this function turned out to be more successful than I ever imagined."

A large percentage of attendees participated in the rafting excursion, and many brought their children and teenagers along for the trip. Law chartered buses from Boise to Cascade Raft and Kayak in Horseshoe Bend, about 45 minutes away. Once the group arrived, Cascade staff handled everything. "Attendees could choose between a raft that would go over all the rough spots, one that would miss the rough spots and keep them from getting as wet, and one that would do a little of both," Law said. "That choice made it nice, especially for those who had never rafted before and didn't know what to expect."

After the group made it down the river rapids - without incident, by the way - they gathered for a riverside reception and dinner. "Cascade had the hors d'oeuvres and the dinner set up right where people came off the river," Law said. "There was live entertainment and delicious food, in a beautiful setting right on the river. It was great.

"When we go to conferences now, the first thing everyone wants to tell me is how much fun they had in Boise on the whitewater rafting trip," Law added. "We have another group coming this year that we might take rafting, and the river will be even higher." In addition to the rafting excursion, Law and his staff also offered attendees a variety of other diversions during the 2005 meeting, including a winery tour, a golf tournament, a tour of the World Center for Birds of Prey, and a local performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. And the educational conference, with speakers including Warren Buffet and representatives from key federal agencies, was a hit as well. "The comment we heard most often was that the conference had a great balance," Law said. "It had a good educational program and other things that people looked forward to enjoying in the afternoons and evenings, especially the river rafting."

Contributing editor Nancy Mann Jackson is a freelance writer in Birmingham, Ala.