After a successful virtual event, the in-person version of the National Pavement Expo (NPE) is now firmly on the calendar. Make plans now to be ready when registration opens later in the fall to take advantage of the Super Saver rates that will go into effect through Nov. 5, 2021.
“The virtual event went well, but we are really looking forward to getting the industry back together in Charlotte, North Carolina,” said Russ Turner, associate show director, NPE. “Exact dates are Feb 23-25, 2022 and right now the Super Saver rates offer an extraordinary deal and an opportunity to network, learn, and visit manufacturer booths on the show floor.”
On the Expo floor, attendees can see, touch, and even climb on the equipment in some cases. With a handshake and a smile, it’s a chance to cement relationships and ask tough questions. Also within the walls of the Charlotte Convention Center, experts will be sharing their hard-won knowledge during informative educational sessions.
Presenter Wayne Jones, senior regional engineer at the Lexington, Ky-based Asphalt Institute has been sharing, updating, and informing NPE attendees for more than 15 years. In 2022, he will again be back to speak about asphalt and asphalt materials.
“Small companies that come to NPE are trying to sell their product to architects and owners,” explains Jones, who works out of Columbus, Ohio. “The biggest mistake they make is that architects will specify a DOT asphalt mix. Well, that's not generally what you want in a parking lot unless it's a freight terminal. I educate attendees about using the right material in the right spot at the right time. I talk about things to look out for and things to avoid.”
Jones will also be presenting on pavement evaluation, a topic he knows well after decades of experience as an estimator, contractor, and eventually head of a corporation in Florida with four branch offices.
“Attendees want to grow their business, and I tell them how to up-sell their services,” he says. “It’s pavement evaluation. For example, the owner says, ‘I've got an issue with my parking lot.’ Well, it's not necessarily an asphalt problem. Most of the time it's water, and a lot of the time it's irrigation. Look at what the pavement is telling you. I give examples of how to read what the pavement is trying to tell them, and then use that to up-sell their customers.”
Neal Glatt, owner of www.nealglatt.com and managing partner of Grow The Bench, did a well-received presentation at NPE’s virtual event and organizers asked him back for the in-person show in Charlotte.
As a speaker, trainer, and coach based in Providence, R.I., Glatt will be tackling two multi-hour workshops. The first is about company culture and the second covers the often dicey topic of managing millennials.
“For every two jobs that are out there, there's only one person who could possibly work, and that's the way the math works out right now,” Glatt explains. “People are quitting jobs faster than they ever have. Ten percent of people are changing jobs every quarter. What people really want are growth and development opportunities, not higher wages, although they do need to make a living wage. They want someone who cares about them. They want to feel like they're making progress. They want to feel like their opinions count. The way in which we deliver that as managers and as companies is radically different than the needs and expectations of many modern workers.”
For those who are on the fence about spending the time, money, and effort to attend NPE, Glatt is adamant. “If you aren't making enough profit to start paying your people 50 percent more over the next five years, or you can't find enough people to keep up with the demand for your services right now, then you better figure out how to come up with the registration fee,” he says. “The couple days away from the office is a chance to pause, invest in yourself, and re-tool because the next five years are going to be brutal when it comes to the talent pool…There is no better way to get prepared for the new realities that we are all facing.”
