diff --git a/common.inc.php b/common.inc.php
index 8f8671c..b490d2b 100644
--- a/common.inc.php
+++ b/common.inc.php
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ else
 $sfiabversion=@file($prependdir."version.txt");
 $config['version']=trim($sfiabversion[0]);
 
-
 //make sure the data subdirectory is writable, if its not, then we're screwed, so make sure it is!
 if(!is_writable($prependdir."data"))
 {
@@ -130,8 +129,7 @@ if(mysql_num_rows($q)<2)
 }
 else
 {
-	while($r=mysql_fetch_object($q))
-	{
+	while($r=mysql_fetch_object($q)) {
 		$config[$r->var]=$r->val;
 	}
 }
@@ -204,37 +202,48 @@ if($config['SFIABDIRECTORY'] == '') {
 }
 session_start();
 
+if(!$_SESSION['conferenceid']) {
+	$q=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM conferences WHERE status='running' ORDER BY name LIMIT 1");
+	if($r=mysql_fetch_object($q)) {
+		$_SESSION['conferenceid']=$r->id;
+	}
+	else {
+		echo "No conferences defined!";
+	}
+}
+
 //move the conference stuff before the configuration loading, so we can load the right configuration for the conference :)
 if(isset($_GET['switchconference'])) {
 	//make sure its good
 	$cid=intval($_GET['switchconference']);
 //	echo "cid=$cid";
-	if($cid==0) {
-		//default for old science fair system
-		$_SESSION['conferenceid']=0;
-	}
-	else {
-		$q=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM conferences WHERE id='$cid' AND status='running'");
-		if($r=mysql_fetch_object($q)) {
-			$_SESSION['conferenceid']=$cid;
-		}
+	$q=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM conferences WHERE id='$cid' AND status='running'");
+	if($r=mysql_fetch_object($q)) {
+		$_SESSION['conferenceid']=$cid;
 	}
 }
 
-if($_SESSION['conferenceid']) {
+if(intval($_SESSION['conferenceid'])>0) {
 	$q=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM conferences WHERE id='".$_SESSION['conferenceid']."'");
 	$conference=mysql_fetch_assoc($q);
-}
-else {
-	$conference['id']=0;
-	$conference['name']=$config['fairname'];
-	$conference['type']="sciencefair";
+
+	/*
+	******* THIS IS TEMPORARY.. probably remove it in a year or so ********
+	if the conference year is set, this is temporary for migratory purposes, so set the FAIRYEAR = confierence year - this will
+	gracefully handle the science fair parts that still rely on FAIRYEAR
+
+	if conference year is NOT set, then make sure config['FAIRYEAR'] is NOT set, so we can weed out any code that relies on 
+	FAIRYEAR from the conference system
+	*/
+	if($conference['year'])
+		$config['FAIRYEAR']=$conference['year'];
+	else
+		$config['FAIRYEAR']=NULL;
 }
 
 //now pull the rest of the configuration
 $q=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM config WHERE year='".$config['FAIRYEAR']."'");
-while($r=mysql_fetch_object($q))
-{
+while($r=mysql_fetch_object($q)) {
 	$config[$r->var]=$r->val;
 }
 
@@ -518,15 +527,9 @@ echo "</div>";
 
 <div id="left">
 <?
- $q=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM conferences WHERE status='running'");
+ $q=mysql_query("SELECT * FROM conferences WHERE status='running' ORDER BY name");
  if(mysql_num_rows($q)) {
 	 echo "<ul class=\"conferencenav\">";
-	 if($_SESSION['conferenceid']==0)
-		 $cl="class=\"selected\"";
-	 else
-		 $cl="";
-
-	 echo "<li $cl><a $cl href=\"".$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']."?switchconference=0\">".i18n("Science Fair")."</a></li>\n";
 	 while($r=mysql_fetch_object($q)) {
 		 if($_SESSION['conferenceid']==$r->id)
 			 $cl="class=\"selected\"";
@@ -537,15 +540,7 @@ echo "</div>";
 	 echo "</ul>\n";
 	 echo "<br />";
  }
- else {
-	 $_SESSION['conferenceid']=0;
- }
- ?>
 
-
-
-
-<?
 if(is_array($nav)) {
 		$navkeys=array_keys($nav);
 		switch($navkeys[2]) {