2011 NPE West to Add Live Demonstrations with Move to San Diego
By Allan Heydorn
National Pavement Expo West, which has been held in Las Vegas for the last 10 years, will undergo a major overhaul for the 2011 show, according to Amy Schwandt, publisher of Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction.
In addition to a move to San Diego’s Town & Country Resort, NPE West also will be extended one day and will include an opportunity for exhibitors to conduct live demonstrations of their equipment. The 2011 event, which will also be renamed Pavement Expo 2011, will be held Wednesday, Nov. 30 – Saturday, Dec. 3.
“Live demonstrations are an exciting element we’ve tried to include in recent years but the Las Vegas location made that difficult,” Schwandt said. “Part of the reason we’ve moved this year’s show to San Diego is we can provide exhibitors an opportunity to demonstrate their equipment, and we’re looking forward to being the only industry trade show that offers the excitement of live demonstrations.”
Schwandt said the live demonstrations will be conducted on two days, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2, in the afternoon. She said the show hopes to be able to offer demonstrations of sealcoating, cracksealing, infrared repair, sweeping, and pavement marking. Schwandt said milling, paving, and patching demonstrations are also a possibility, and details of all demonstrations will be released as exhibitors commit to the program.
“Since 2000 the NPE West show has been an annual event for contractors in the western U.S. and we think the enhancements we’re planning will make it an annual event for contractors throughout the country,” Schwandt said.
She said that in addition to adding live demonstrations, one of the advantages of adding a full day to the show is the expansion of the conference program. In recent years NPE West has offered 31 sessions but with the new format contractors will be able to choose from among 39 seminars and workshops.
“This is very exciting time for Pavement magazine as we expand and upgrade this conference and trade show,” Schwandt said. “Cygnus Business Media has always been a strong supporter of the paving and pavement maintenance industry and this is another effort to give the industry what it wants. We have received great support from the industry over the years and early responses from contractors and exhibitors indicate these changes have enthusiastic industry support. There’s a lot of energy out there and we think this redesigned show will tap into it.”
Following is the schedule for the Nov. 30-Dec. 3 San Diego event:
Wednesday, November 30
9-Noon, Conference
1:00-4:30, Conference
4:30-5:30, FREE Roundtables
Thursday, December 1
8:00 -11:30, Conference
11:00-3:30, Exhibits
2:30 -5:00, Live Demonstrations
5:00-6:00 FREE Roundtables
Friday, December 2
8:00 -11:30, Conference
11:00-5:00, Exhibits
1:30 -4:00, Live Demonstrations
3:00-5:00 Network Nite Reception (on Exhibit Floor)
Saturday, December 3
8:00 -11:30, Conference
9:00-Noon, Exhibits
For regular updates and special conference discounts join Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PavementMagazine) or visit the NPE West website starting in July.
Flint Trading Acquires IPC Preformed Thermoplastic Markings
Flint Trading Inc., Thomasville, NC, has acquired the preformed thermoplastic marking business of Integrated Paving Concepts (IPC). According to Steve Vetter, CEO and president, IPC’s DuraTherm and StreetPrint XD (now known as TrafficPatternsXD) brands will be added to Flint's line of preformed thermoplastic products.
In addition, Flint has enlisted a team of regional sales managers to provide customer support and business development in the TrafficScapes market.
“We believe Flint is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand from engineers, architects, and contractors who build streetscapes for livable communities and dynamic commercial properties," Vetter said. "These partnerships allow Flint to contribute to the safety, traffic calming, and appearance aspects of a shared roadway system.”
Industry Appointments
At KM International, Garret D. DeMarco is salesman working the Midwest and southeastern states...At Paladin Construction Group Allen Perko is heavy construction territory manager, covering the southeastern United States.
Washington State Bans Coal Tar Sealers
Washington became the only state in the country to ban the use of refined coal-tar sealers on asphalt pavement when Gov. Chris Gregorie signed the ban into law May 5. Prior to this ban coal tar sealers had been banned only in a number of smaller communities, including Austin, TX, where the initial ban was passed in 2006.
The Pavement Coatings Technology Council (PCTC), which has been working to defend refined coal tar by conducting its own research and clearing up misinformation, fought the Washington ban, explaining the science behind the ban was severely flawed.
According to an article in The Seattle Times, PCTC Executive Director Anne LeHuray told state officials the effort to reduce PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in the environment by banning refined coal tar sealers would be ineffective because PAHs exist in the environment naturally and also result from numerous other sources.
"Their mathematical model that purports to apportion sources of PAHs is based on pre-selection of sources using cherry-picked data," LeHuray wrote in an e-mail to InvestigateWest, a Seattle investigative journalism center.
According to the Times article state representative David Frockt, who sponsored the bill, said "Nobody felt their business was going to be impacted if they had to go to the (other) sealants."
