Behavioral Economics: Retrospect and Prospect
August 14th - August 17th
Bellingham, Washington
Conference Overview
The Behavioral Economics: Retrospect and Prospect conference in Bellingham, WA, will take place August 14-17. Kicking off with an evening reception, the event features academic presentations at Western Washington University and outdoor networking opportunities in the Bellingham area, including a group hike at Fragrance Lake and a harbor dinner cruise. Attendees can choose from various lodging options in Bellingham, with convenient travel routes from Seattle and Vancouver.
Registration
Registration for the conference is $450; please register by June 30, 2025 to ensure your spot. Click here to register today.
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Registration includes dinner on August 14, breakfast, lunch, and the dinner cruise on August 15, breakfast and the brewery dinner on August 16. ​All registrations are being handled by Vanderbilt Executive Education. If you have additional guests who would like to attend either the dinner cruise on August 15 or the brewery dinner on August 16, please register using the link above AND email ExecEd@vanderbilt.edu to specify how many guests will attend—additional guests will cost $50 each for each meal.​​​​​​​​​​
Conference Agenda
Thursday, August 14th
7pm: Reception at George's condo (address to be communicated via email)
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Friday, Aug 15th
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8:30 am: Breakfast & Opening Remarks at the Chrysalis Inn & Spa Bellingham, 804 10th St.
10:30 am: Travel to Fragrance Lake trailhead
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11:00 am: Group hike at Fragrance Lake Trail with packed lunch
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2:45 pm: Travel to Taylor Shellfish Farm
3:00 pm: Networking Event at Taylor Shellfish Farm
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6:00 – 9:00 pm: Harbor Dinner Cruise in Bellingham Bay, with families invited
Note: Boarding is at 6:15 with the boat departing at 6:30 | Address: 355 Harris Ave., Bellingham.
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Saturday, August 16th
9:00 am – 12:30 pm: Breakfast & Morning Presentations at Western Washington University, Viking Union room 462
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Lunch and Afternoon Activities: On your own
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6:30 pm: Group Dinner and Closing Remarks at Aslan Brewpub, 1330 N Forest St.
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Sunday, August 17th
10am: Brunch at George's condo (address to be communicated via email)
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Confirmed Speakers
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George Loewenstein, Carnegie Mellon University
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Emily Haisley, BlackRock
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Andras Molnar, University of Michigan
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Daniel Schwartz, University of Chile
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Deborah Small, Yale School of Management
Getting to Bellingham
Option 1: Fly to Bellingham
Alaska Air (connection in Seattle)
Allegiant Air flights into Bellingham from Las Vegas, Oakland, CA, LAX, Phoenix, San Diego (not on all days, and I haven’t flown on it and can’t vouch for it)
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Option 2: Fly to Seattle then take shuttle bus
You can catch one of the shuttles from the SEATAC to Bellingham (link) or catch Amtrak. There is a trolley that goes from SEATAC to Amtrak in Seattle, but only a few trains each day, and it is SLOW.
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Option 3: Fly to Vancouver
Bellingham is actually closer to Vancouver (and sometimes flights to Vancouver are cheaper than to Seattle). There are various bus options from Vancouver airport (or downtown) to Bellingham. There is also Amtrak, but service is sporadic.
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Option 4: Fly to Seattle or Vancouver and rent a car
Where to Stay
Hotel Leo
1224 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 746-9097
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Fairhaven Village Inn
1200 10th St, Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 733-1311
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Chrysalis Inn
804 10th St, Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 756-1005
Four Points Hotel
714 Lakeway Dr, Bellingham, WA 98229
(360) 671-1011
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We encourage you to look on Airbnb and VRBO for additional options. For those wishing to coordinate with other attendees, please refer to emails sent by Eric VanEpps for such a list.
Things to Do in and Around Bellingham
Outdoor Adventures
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Rent a bike – Amazing bike trails throughout Bellingham
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Mountain biking at Galbraith – World-class single-track trails
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Hiking at Mount Baker
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Three-Lake Hike – A breathtaking single-day high-altitude hike
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Lake Anne Overnight Hike – Stunning views, rent gear at REI
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Water Activities
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Drive or bike to Lummi Island
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Whale watching tours
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Hang out at Lake Padden or Lake Whatcom
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Swim off the dock near Chrysalis Inn
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Walk the boardwalk
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Sea kayaking
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Take a ferry to San Juan or Orcas Island
Scenic Towns & Drives
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Visit Fairhaven – A second, super-quaint downtown
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Explore Edison & LaConner – Two charming small towns
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Drive Chuckanut Drive – (We’ll do this as a group!)
Hiking & City Excursions
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Lots of fantastic hill hikes – We’ll do one together!
Dress Code
Outdoor casual for the entire weekend. We also recommend bringing an extra layer for evening activities and hiking.