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!



While I wasn’t sure how many people would make it dutifully to this morning’s General Session after last night’s spectacular opening party on the Navy Pier—complete with fireworks! I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the full house at Arie Crown Theatre this morning.

NECA President Milner Irvin addresses the opening general session.

NECA President Milner Irvin spoke about the many initiatives he and NECA’s staff have taken on to improve the NECA member experience during his tenure as president, most notably the leadership conference call series and advances in labor relations. Many NECA members will also miss Milner’s “From The President’s Desk” column published monthly in ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. As he so aptly put it, progress has been made and progress will continue to be made under incoming president Rex Ferry’s leadership.

Speaking of progress, the rest of the program included presentations by Jerry Nixon, NECA’s Political Leadership Council Chairman, about the impressive growth of NECA’s political action committee, ECPAC, to nearly $2 million, making ECPAC one of the Top 50 Federal PACs and amplifying the voice of NECA’s Government Affairs program. Jerry, the ever consummate fundraiser, invited interested NECA members to visit with Lake Coulson and the Government Affairs Team at the NECA booth throughout the convention and to consider a gift to ECPAC as an investment in their business’ operations.

And the highlight of today’s general session was of course the truly titillating performance by The Second City, complete with NECA-inspired sketches about competing bids and apprentices.

Second City players share the stage with willing(?) NECA volunteers

They had contractors laughing hysterically with their skit about the project manager dealing with his delinquent boss, who was willing to do anything to win the job, even if it meant dropping three zeros from the overall cost. Second City even offered crowd participation as part of their performance, in which audience participants Chris and Jean added a little bit of their own improv to the show.

The Second City group was established in Chicago in 1959. It was the starting point for some of the most famous comics of our time, including John Belushi, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner. The next time I get roped into playing charades, I hope I get a member of Second City on my team!

Second City players make convincing electrical contractors.