After opening remarks from Stan Lazarian, president of Pasadena’s Electric Service & Supply Co. as well as vice president of NECA’s ninth district, several high-profile names from both in and out of the immediate NECA family took to the podiums and convention halls, touching on everything from opportunities to challenges facing the crowd.

“Is there anyone here that doesn’t think that this energy solution market does not represent an opportunity for them?” Mir Mustafa, NECA’s director of market development, asked the crowd at the last of Saturday’s general session addresses.

Not a single one of the hundreds in attendance raised a hand.

Mustafa then asked how many of them were confident they knew how to go about seizing that opportunity. Just three hands flew to the air.

“It is very confusing,” Mustafa responded.

He then went on to explain how his interest in green energy was brought on by chance through a conversation with a client — Mustafa was previously a lawyer — about energy efficiency. Despite his lack of working experience as an electrician or engineer, he and the client wound up starting a company together doing energy retrofit work.

“We didn’t know what we were doing when we started, but we learned quite a lot along the way, so it’s quite possible for all of you to become quite efficient at it,” Mustafa said.

And so set the tone for the forum. Through six morning breakout sessions and three in the afternoon, electricians learned how to incorporate detailed energy financial analyses in their proposals, listened to what their place may be in the emerging electric vehicle infrastructure market and learned about options regarding the financing of energy projects so they can better approach potential customers.

>>Read the full article from the San Diego Daily Transcript online or NECA’s recap of the event on blog.necaconvention.org.

Today was NECA first-ever Energy Forum, and it was non-stop action.

If you’re using social media (and who isn’t these days?) and you want to connect with fellow attendees and vendors – follow all the action by becoming and fan, liking wall posts and tagging photos at facebook.com/necaconvention. People who prefer to communicate in 140 characters can get short updated on Twitter - @necanet and @necaconvention. Mark your tweets from San Diego with the hastag #NECA11 and watch them scroll on the Social Media Wall on the NECA Show floor. You can also catch up on event recaps and photos from our blog on the Social Media Wall, too.

And of course, feel free to leave your comments and links on this blog, too. Thanks so much to everyone who’s joined us here in San Diego. Your support of this event means a lot to our industry and NECA, and I hope you’re looking forward to everything we have planned. You can tune into our daily NECA Newscast from San Diego broadcast of events on your hotel television, but nothing beats getting out there yourself.  So, enjoy the San Diego sunshine, and I’ll see you at the convention center! To those who couldn’t make it here, we’ll try to bring as much of the action to you right here!

Safety professionals can now build on the knowledge they gained at NECA’s first Safety Professionals Conference with a dedicated education track focused exclusively on the training, regulations and policies they need to do their jobs—all for just $500 (price does not include pre-convention workshops).

The Safety Track at NECA 2011 San Diego is an affordable and accessible way NECA supports our inside and outside electrical safety professionals. Safety Track courses at NECA 2011 San Diego include pre-convention workshops, management seminars, technical workshops, and the Safety Roundtable.

PRE-CONVENTION WORKSHOPS

OSHA ET&D 10 Hour Train the Trainer Course
Friday, October 21
8 a.m.–5 p.m., PW-3
(Two-day course continues Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)
Instructor: Joe Branco, Corporate Safety Manager, Quanta Services
$450

OSHA ET&D Supervisory Leadership Skills Outreach Train-the-Trainer Course
Friday, October 21
8:00 am–5:00 pm, PW-4 (Three-day course continues Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 23, 8 a.m.–12 noon)
Instructor: James A. McGowan, Director, Safety Training, Quanta Services
$500

Changes in the NFPA 70E 2012
Saturday, October 22
8 a.m.–12 noon, PW-8
Instructors: Palmer Hickman, NJATC Director of Codes and Safety Training and Curriculum Development; and James Dollard, Jr., Safety Coordinator, IBEW Local 98
$145

MANAGEMENT SEMINARS

OSHA’s Regulatory Update Impacting Line Contractors
Sunday, October 23
8:00–8:50 am, M-1  •  9:00–9:50 am, M-8

Surviving the Changes to the Crane Standard
Sunday, October 23
8:00–8:50 am, M-2  •  9:00–9:50 am, M-9

Surviving Today’s OSHA
Monday, October 24
8:00–8:50 am, M-3  •  9:00–9:50 am, M-24

OSHA Partnership: What are the Benefits of the OSHA Electrical Transmission & Distribution (ET&D) Strategic Safety Partnership for All Line Contractors
Monday, October 24
9:00–9:50 am, M-20

TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS

Workplace Efficiency and Safety: What Contractors Should Know about NFPA 70E and Insulated Tools
Sunday, October 23
12-12:50 p.m., Room 1, ET-1

Line & Truck Grounding for Today’s Lineman
Sunday, October 23, 2011
1–1:50 pm, Room 1, ET-2

Understanding the Arc Flash and NFPA 70E
Sunday, October 23, 2011
2–2:50 pm, Room 1, ET-4

Arc Flash Mitigation and NEC Code and Compliance
Sunday, October 23, 2011
3–3:50 pm, Room 2, ET-6

>>Still unsure about attending NECA 2011 San Diego? The $500 Safety Track flat rate is STILL open for registrants! Register now!

Second, you can add pre-convention workshops and tours to your existing registration online or call Katie at 301-215-4506 for help.

If you want to make the changes to your registration online, follow these steps:

1. Visit the 2011 San Diego registration page: https://www2.cmrreg.com/neca_c2/  (Click on Attendee Registration button at the top right of the NECA Convention website, then click again on the Register Now button.)

2. Scroll down to “Already Registered?” You will be prompted to enter the confirmation number and email address included in your registration confirmation you should have received by email.

3. Click “Review or Change Your Registration.” Your registration contact information will be displayed.

4. Click through the pages until you reach “Pre-Conference Workshops.” Select any workshops you would like to add to your registration.

5. Click through the pages to see if you need to update any other information. The cart at the top of the page will display any items you have added.

6. Click “Update Registration” once you’re finishing reviewing. You will receive an email confirmation of your additional registration items.

That’s it!

To download a copy of the “Visit San Diego Guide” or have it mailed to you for free, visit the San Diego Convention Center website!

We hope you’re as excited about NECA 2011 San Diego as we are! Check out the new site and start making your plans to join us in San Diego, Oct. 22-25! You can also get NECA 2011 San Diego updates through Twitter and Facebook.

The first thing that jumped out at me was on page 3, “Opportunities in Education.” Today, it’s crystal-clear that what separates the NECA/IBEW team is our commitment to education. I speak of education on a broader spectrum, ranging from apprentice training and journeyman upgrade programs to contractor business development opportunities. NECA 2010 has it all. From energy audit programs for contractors looking to add a new service to their customer service portfolio to the latest on building automation and control technology, there is an education program scheduled to meet your need!

You know something else that caught my attention paging through the brochure? Full page adds by NECA Premier Partners — Westex Inc, Milwaukee Electric Tool and Graybar. I am so proud that Westex Inc and Milwaukee are also NJATC Platinum Level Training Partners. How important has the addition of these industry Training Partners been to NECA and the IBEW? I can tell you first-hand that over the course of the past five years our industry training partners have helped to change the face of our JATC and AJATC training centers.

Most importantly, because of their commitment to NECA and the IBEW, we have dramatically improved the curriculum and hands-on training opportunities for our apprentices and journeymen. Please make certain to stop by and thank them when you visit them on the NECA Show floor!

Did I mention the educational opportunities at NECA 2010? Okay, but I forgot to tell you that what really impressed me in the NECA 2010 brochure was the information on the Pre-Convention Workshops. I admit my bias, but over the course of the past three years, the NJATC has been working very closely with the NECA Convention team to develop the Pre-Convention Workshops and promote our outstanding pool of Training Partners. I am especially excited that Palmer Hickman, NJATC Director of Codes & Standards, will be teaming up with Jerry Rivera, NECA Director of Safety, to give pre-convention workshop attendees a first look at the proposed changes to NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety in the Workplace.

Speaking of changes, did you know that by the time curtain comes up on NECA 2010 Boston, the 2011 National Electrical Code will be published? Do you know what changes are in store for the NEC? Don’t worry Mike Johnston, NECA Director of Codes & Standards and Jim Dollard, IBEW LU 98 Safety Coordinator will be conducting a Pre-Convention Workshop designed to bring you up to speed on the changes in a couple of hours.
I could go on and on, but I think you see where I am going with this. I was impressed and rightly so. The Pre-Convention Workshop lineup is outstanding. In fact, I believe it’s the finest group of pre-convention classes and programs that NECA has ever been assembled. I know what you’re thinking again, “Yeah, but Mike’s a training guy…” You’re right, but I encourage you to do what I did and thumb through the complete listing of pre-convention workshops.

You say you’re from the outside industry? Not a problem, NECA 2010 Boston is making a special effort to meet the needs of the outside line construction industry. How about a Pre-Convention Workshop on the latest in blended learning for our outside apprentices? Did you know our outside apprentices are utilizing computers to learn their trade through a blended, distance–learning model? Or perhaps outside safety is your interest. Several Pre-Convention Workshops address the importance of safety training for our members and contractors in the outside industry.

Ok, one last time, know what you are thinking: “He hasn’t said a word about the social program and networking opportunities.” You’re correct. I am a training guy but, I must admit, I love the Beatles! I’ll see you at the Closing Celebration!

1. More family-friendly.
The 2010 NECA Show will be open to all children accompanied by an adult. All they need is a badge for admission!

2. More peer-to-peer networking.
The new NECA Women’s Peer Group and Safety Roundtable are just a few of the opportunities for special groups within the association to meet and discuss the special concerns they face.

3. More opportunities for your entire company.
Newly launched by NECA President Rex Ferry, the “Contractors Challenge: Motivate, Reward, Recognize” is a program any NECA member can customize to help bring talented employees to NECA 2010 Boston. More details can be found online!

4. More access to innovation.
Find more energy solutions across the entire exhibit hall. Companies offering green energy innovations will be identified with NECA Energy Solutions logos on their booths, in the Show Guide and on www.necaconvention.org. Attendees will also be asked to vote for their favorite exhibitors for the first time as part of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR’s Show Stoppers awards.

5. First-Timer Orientation
Will NECA 2010 Boston be your first time at NECA’s annual convention and trade show? Don’t get lost or overwhelmed. First-time attendees will have a special orientation session from NECA and Boston chapter staff about determining and following a path that makes the event work best for you.

Couldn’t make it to Seattle? Check out over 100 products in the virtual New and Featured Product Room online. Ginger Wilson is also tweeting some of the exhibitors that catch her eye on twitter.com/NECAConvention. Subscribe to her tweets today — she gets the first scope on cool prize giveaways at the booths, but you need to be on Twitter first!