NECA Convention 2009 Seattle: The Blog

NECA’s phone system is currently down — if you need immediate assistance, or need to make a request to convention staff, please contact Katie (katie@necanet.org) or Beth (eie@necanet.org) via email. We will publish an immediate update when our phone system is back up and running. We apologize for any inconvenience — thank you for your patience.

The website for NECA 2011 San Diego, www.necaconvention.org, is now live with preliminary information about speakers, events, the NECA Show, travel arrangements and the brand-new Energy Forum! Online registration opens June 14, and we’ll be adding updates on management seminars and technical workshops as details are as finalized.

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 2010 induction ceremony of new Fellows into the Academy of Electrical Contracting was held at today’s Opening General Session. Academy Chairman Milner Irvin introduced the nine new Fellows:

George Adams

EC Company

Portland, Oregon

Michael Bender

Bana Electric Corporation

Farmingdale, New York

Russ Borden

Tri-City Electric

Miami, Florida

I. Steven Diamond

Malko Electric

Morton Grove, Illinois

Charles Freeman

Gulf Electric

Mobile, Alabama

John Lambert

L&O Electric, Inc.

Austin, TX

David E. Morse

Morse Electric

Beloit, Wisconsin

Gary Tucci

Potelco, Inc.

Sumner, WA

Bruce Young

ColliSys

New Hope, Minnesota

Since its founding meeting in 1968, the Academy has served as the “voice of experience” for NECA and ELECTRI International – The Foundation for Electrical Construction, Inc. Fellows of the Academy are invited to join the organization based on their exceptional service to the electrical contracting industry. Each Academy Fellow authors a white page on their area of industry expertise, and they participate in issue analysis to determine trends within the industry and make recommendations.

More information about the Academy’s 2010 annual meeting, a list of Fellows and a complete archive of papers by Academy Fellows is available on NECA’s website.

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 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.

One program that’s generating some early buzz in Seattle was yesterday’s pre-convention workshop on how to do a facility energy audit. Participation swelled, forcing the workshop to relocate to a larger classroom.

Energy Audit: A Portal to Green Projects offered contractors their first look at a brand-new resource developed just for them by NECA – a step-by-step guide to evaluate the energy conservation, efficiency and alternative power opportunities for an existing building.

“The first step to winning a green energy project is proving to your customer that you understand their energy needs and that you can do the work to meet their green building goals. When an electrical contractor does a facility energy audit, he shows he can meet both needs,” said Dick Nogleberg, chair of NECA’s Energy Solutions Task Force. The task force was the driving force behind developing the audit tools and training.

Owners tell us that the firm who does their energy audit is usually the same contractor who creates their green energy project and controls the work. Energy audit expertise is a highly valuable addition to a NECA member’s green energy business and profit development toolkit.

Future energy audit training will be available through MEI.