NECA Convention 2009 Seattle: The Blog

Thousands of electrical professionals joined the National Electrical Contractors Association for its 2010 annual convention and trade show in Boston, Oct. 2-5.

There, NECA President Rex Ferry encouraged the convention-goers to revolutionize the way they think about the electrical construction work they do. “I believe a better description for the work we do now is ‘energy manager’,” Ferry said. “We are integrating electrical systems to make buildings perform better and more efficiently than ever before. Because that’s what our customers demand from us.”

The convention and NECA Show are the premier events for the electrical construction industry, with strategies for handling the lagging construction market dominating this year’s event.

“In tough times, you have to take a step back and think about what your company’s goals are,” Ferry said. “It’s a chance to review everything you were taking for granted and maybe make some changes you wouldn’t have considered before. The contractors here at NECA 2010 Boston want to succeed, not just survive.”

NECA 2010 Boston offered the industry’s best education, networking opportunities, and market intelligence, all focused on the needs of electrical contractors working in today’s economy.

Ranging from NFPA 70E requirements to smart grid technologies to the new OSHA crane and derrick guidelines, NECA 2010 Boston offered education and insight for all building professionals, especially those looking for the latest information on green building technologies, safety innovations, and integrated systems.

Along with economic management strategies, contractors at NECA 2010 Boston are focused on the green energy market.  “Green building practices are shaping the majority of current construction projects, and smart energy choices have the greatest impact on green building,” Ferry said.

“This was my ninth NECA convention, and it was probably the best convention I’ve ever attended,” said Jeffrey P. Scarpello, Executive Director, Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter, NECA. “The programs, speakers and exhibitors were great. I heard much positive feedback from my members, many of whom are already discussing plans to be in San Diego for the 2011 NECA convention and trade show.”

The NECA Show featured over 250 exhibitors with products and services specifically for electrical contractors. The 103^rd Electricians Pipe and Drum Band, sponsored by Helmets to Hardhats, opened the Show floor Oct. 3 with great fanfare.

In addition to the trade show and educational opportunities, NECA 2010 Boston also hosted NECA’s student summit, finalist presentations in the second annual Green Energy Challenge, and inspirational keynote speeches from deep-sea explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, best known for his 1985 discovery of the Titanic and soldier Michael J. Durant, author of Blackhawk Down and In the Company of Heroes.

“I particularly enjoyed listening to Dr. Ballard on Sunday morning; in fact, I could have easily spent the rest of the day hearing about his exploits,” said Rich Wynne, Manager, St. Paul Chapter, NECA.

Seminars, workshops and other events were featured on blog.necaconvention.org, with shorter updates posted on NECA Convention’s Facebook Fan page and Twitter. Photos of NECA 2010 Boston activities will be posted on NECA’s Flickr page.

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NECA is the voice of the $130 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across the U.S. NECA’s national office and 119 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research and standards development. For more information, visit www.necanet.org.

The 2010 NECA Show, featuring over 250 exhibitors with products and services specifically for electrical contractors, opened today immediately following the Opening General Session. The 103rd Electricians Pipe and Drum Band, sponsored by Helmets to Hardhats, led the crowd, and thousands of attendees flooded the halls to see the latest and greatest.

We know it’s going to be tough to see everything in one day. That’s why the NECA Show is open for three full days, to allow Show-goers enough time to meet the vendors and try out the products.

Exhibitors are also sponsoring a ton of giveaways on the Show floor, and the easiest way to keep track of everything is by following NECA Convention on Twitter, www.twitter.com/NECAConvention. Ginger Wilson is tweeting some of the exhibitors that catch her eye there, and she gets the first scope on cool prize giveaways at the booths, but you need to be on Twitter first! Once there, use the hashtag #NECA10 with your NECA 2010 Boston tweets.

Technical workshops will be going out during the NECA Show as well, so it’s a good idea to plan your schedule in advance. Don’t forget the new Showstopper Showcase that combines ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR’s Showstopper Awards with the NECA Show’s New and Featured Product Room. It’s a great chance to browse new items and updated services at your convenience, and follow up one-on-one with the exhibitors at the Show.

NECA 2010 Boston attendees and their guests got an unexpected treat when the Friday, Oct. 1 game between the Red Sox and Yankees was rained out, resulting in a double-header between the two rivals on Saturday, Oct. 2, the evening of NECA 2010 Boston’s opening celebration at Jillian’s.

Four floors of fun greeted guests who braved Boston’s game-day traffic with a little help from local police escorts. Between the bowling, pool games, dancing, fabulous food and drinks – the event even boasted a costumed monkey who patiently posed for pictures – the Grand-Slam Night Out won’t be an opening event soon forgotten!

“Most of my greatest discoveries have been accidents,” said deep sea explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, the keynote speaker at NECA’s Opening General Session, Oct. 3. “We’ve been to the moon, we’ve been to Mars, and we’ve barely touched the unknown parts of our own planet.”

Ballard gave an in-depth talk about the value of venturing into the unknown, even when conventional wisdom says there’s nothing to be found there. “Most of our planet lives in eternal darkness, under the ocean,” Ballard said. “We actually only live on 18 percent of our planet. So you have to expand your thinking to embrace the possibilities that maybe we don’t know everything. And then you have to be willing to try something new.”

Ballards’s message was especially timely for electrical contractors who are facing the toughest market conditions in recent memory. NECA President Rex Ferry echoed Ballard, saying, “We can no longer think of ourselves as ‘just’ electrical contractors. We need to be energy managers. We need to offer our customers a total, integrated solution to their power, lighting and system needs.”

There’s no benefit to staying in the comfort zone, Ballard said. “I never know what I’m going to find when I go out on my ship, the Nautilus. But I know that we have to keep looking. We have to keep opening doors and showing school children the amazing things that make their jaws drop open.” He then flashed a picture of middle-school students watching a live feed from the Nautilus’s roving underwater submarines and his Center for Ocean Exploration and Archaeological Oceanography, an organization devoted to bringing underseas discoveries into the public realm and schools. “There’s your next scientist or engineer. There’s your next electrical contractor.”

Check out Ballard’s live feed to his ship’s exploration >>

Members of NECA’s Executive Committee and Board of Governors convened Oct. 2 to review two proposed bylaw amendments, one ordinary proposal and reports from the organization’s staff officers, committees, and task forces. NECA President Rex Ferry chaired the meeting.

Neither the amendment to increase NECA member dues or the amendment to NECA’s bylaw regarding the Council for Industrial Relations (CIR) passed by the required majority. An ordinary proposal to update NECA’s standing policy on government affairs was approved by voice vote.

The Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve the nominations of district vice presidents Greg Stewart (District 2), George Adams (District 6) and Gary Tucci (District 10). David Hardt (District 4) and Ray Friend (District 8 ) were elected to their second two-year term. The officers will begin their two-year terms on January 1, 2011. Current District 2 Vice President Dennis Quebe was unanimously voted as NECA President-elect, a one-year term that will begin January 1, 2011. Quebe will then serve a three-year term as NECA President, beginning in 2012.

The Board of Governors also recognized Milwaukee Electric Tool as NECA’s 2010 Industry Partner award winner.

The Board of Governors recognized Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. as NECA’s 2010 Industry Partner award winner. Steven Richman, president of Milwaukee Electric, accredited the award on behalf of the company.

“We don’t take this honor lightly,” Richman remarked to the Governors. “We know we have to earn your trust by producing great products and integrated learning.

Milwaukee has generously supported NECA’s educational initiatives for many years, as an exhibitor at the NECA Show, a supporter and platinum level training partner for the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee and as a new member of ELECTRI International’s Partner’s for Progress program. Milwaukee will lead a technical workshop at NECA 2010 Boston’s trade show on “Power Tool Safety and Productivity,” Oct. 3. The company became a NECA Premier Partner in 2008.

NECA’s Industry Partner Award recognizes those organizations or individuals who, though not members of NECA, contribute to the electrical contracting industry’s success through their decisions, actions, or cooperation with NECA. Previous winners of the Industry Partner Award include the National Fire Protection Agency (1996), Graybar Electric Co. (2004), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2008).

“We are extremely proud to receive this exclusive award and consider it an honor to partner with NECA to demonstrate our shared commitment to the electrical trades,” Richman said. “Milwaukee remains committed to disruptive innovation and delivering solutions for electricians that increase productivity and enhance ease-of-use.”



In addition to the usual fun stuff you find at the NECA Show, we’ve got some great speaking drawings and raffles this year. We’ll still have the daily drawings and grand prize drawing for the event, but there are some great chances to take some an awesome souvenir from the 2010 NECA Show!

First, Rexel will be holding a raffle benefiting ELECTRI International’s Talent Initiative for the flat-screen TVs in the fabulous Construction Zone networking lounge. You could be enjoying your next Red Sox game from the comfort of your living room on a brand-new television, plus your raffle ticket purchase will directly help NECA’s student chapter initiatives!

ECPAC will bring its popular regional meeting prize-raffle-with-your-contribution to NECA’s national convention for the first time. This year’s daily prize will be a new iPad, the hottest tech device going these days. Take advantage of BCEC’s wi-fi on your brand new iPad!

And there will be special games and prizes for making the rounds to all of NECA’s special Energy Solutions exhibitors. Just get your card stamped by these featured “green building” exhibitors to take advantage of these new opportunities – and you’ll probably see some of the coolest smart building products on the market.

The real prize hook-up will be the technical workshops, however. Panduit will also be giving away a raffle prize for attendees at their technical workshop, too. A brand new iPod Touch could be yours just for taking advantage of the great training offered at their session, Sunday, Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m. on Next Generation GBPS Network.

Osram Sylvania will be raffling off a  32 inch Sylvania flat screen TV at their technical workshop, Energy Saving Fluorescent Lighting Systems Technology Update, on Monday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m.

And finally, we just learned that High Voltage will be giving away an Amazon Kindle Electronic Book Reader with Wi-Fi & 3G connectivity, that will be given away during the following Technical Workshop, Very Low Frequency (VLF) AC Cable Testing, on Monday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m.

Prizes plus education … a winning combination at the 2010 NECA Show!



OSHA’s 10-Hour safety course has been the standard for general industry and electrical safety for years, but only recently did owners and general contractors begin demanding to see stamped cards verifying a worker’s successful completion of the course.

We know you don’t have any time to waste, so we’ve gone the extra step to ensure that you get everything you need by participating in an educational session at NECA 2010 Boston – including the stamped OSHA 10-Hour course card at our pre-convention workshop, OSHA 10 for Outside.

OSHA 10 for Outside is a two-day pre-convention workshop for high-voltage line contractors and workers. The workshop will begin Friday, Oct. 1, from 1-5 p.m. and continue Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., with an hour-long lunch break at noon. The cost for both days is $300. And yes, participants who successfully complete both days will receive their much-prized stamped OSHA 10-Hour card by mail shortly afterward!

>>More information about the pre-convention workshop “OSHA 10 for Outside”

>>Register for NECA 2010 Boston NOW!

>>Already registered, but want to add the pre-convention workshop “OSHA 10 for Outside” to your registration? Here’s how!

by Nate S. Oland, National Account Executive, Federated Insurance

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming convention in Boston! It sounds like NECA has some great activities planned, and I intend to participate in as many as I can.  September 15, 2010, marks the one-year anniversary since Federated was chosen as an Official Partner of NECA. We’re very proud of our relationship with such a respected organization.

One thing I especially like about NECA 2010 Boston is the “Connecting the World” tagline that was chosen for this year. The electrical contracting industry is constantly evolving to keep up with the latest technology and regulations.

At Federated, we recently introduced Federated’s Shield Network, an online resource which is designed to help our clients connect to the latest in a wide range of risk management tools and services. Stop by our booth #1101, whether you’re currently insured with Federated or just looking for more information on our programs or Federated’s Shield Network. We want to connect with you!

by Beth Ellis, NECA executive director, convention/exposition

The deadline to take advantage of early registration savings is coming up soon – August 13 – and I don’t want you to miss any of the opportunities NECA has put together for our annual convention and trade show this year. I’ve included the complete convention brochure, as well as information about our pre-convention workshops and tours, here.

I know you face tough choices in your business every day in these critical economic times. I also know that the only way your business can be prepared to take advantage of all the emerging market opportunities in our industry is to be exposed to new ideas and solutions. NECA 2010 Boston will help you discover and implement ideas that deliver results. You will learn how to search for innovative solutions and make valuable connections with your fellow industry leaders. It will prepare you for the future with new technology, trends, and economic realities changing the face of electrical construction. All this, in just three days.

Take a look at the real costs of NECA 2010 Boston – and then think about what the costs could be to you and your company if you miss out on these opportunities.

Cost Comparison: The Value of NECA 2010 Boston At NECA 2010 Boston, you can participate in education sessions geared to the needs of NECA contractors, networking events to put you in touch with fellow NECA contractors, connections to manufacturers or service providers you rely on, a value of $1,725 for the member rate of only $925. That’s an $800 savings! And, you get all that knowledge and face-to-face networking in just three days, meaning fewer days out of the office, lower travel costs, and immediate results.

$925: Member registration fee for NECA 2010 Boston includes:

Five Management Education sessions (250 minutes) – a $500 value
Three lunches on the Trade Show floor- a $125 value
Opening reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages – a $325.00 value
Closing celebration – a $100.00 value
Three General Sessions – a $195.00 value
Lifestyle Program – a $120.00 value
Fourteen hours of exclusive Trade Show access – a $255.00 value
Technical Workshops on the Trade Show floor – a $105.00 value

$1,725.00: Value of NECA 2010 Boston
– $925.00: Full member registration

$800.00: Actual Member savings

We look forward to seeing you October 2-5!  Registration for NECA 2010 Boston is available online at www.necaconvention.org. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Nolan at (301) 215-4506 or katie@necanet.org.