National Pavement Expo, the paving & pavement maintenance industry’s only national trade show and conference program, visits Memphis, TN, for the first time Feb. 15-18 and will bring 15 new speakers and 35 new seminar topics aimed directly at contractors. Early Bird registration ends Feb. 3, and you can find details on the show and complete seminar descriptions at www.nationalpavementexpo.com.
But to give you a start here is some information on some new speakers, their topics, and links to their websites. Among the new speakers are:
Jon Goldman, Brand Launcher, will present his take on contractor marketing with a 3-hour workshop “5 Marketing Moves Your Company Needs Now!” and a 90-minute session, “Social Marketing on Speed: Facebook, Twitter & Youtube.” Great insights into Goldman’s approach as well as testimonials from satisfied Goldman clients at www.brandlauncher.com.
Roger Bostdorff, B2B Sales Boost, makes his inaugural NPE appearance with two sessions aimed at the business management side of contracting. Bostdorff will offer tips to those involved in family-owned business with “The Game Plan for Building and Sustaining Family Business Success” followed immediately by his personalized sales tips in “Selling is a Process, not an Art – and Here’s How to Do It.” Learn more about Roger, how B2B Sales Boost is “focused on helping small to medium size businesses improve their top line revenue and their bottom line profits,” and find dozens of testimonials at www.B2BSalesBoost.com.
Contractors should be prepared for OSHA inspections and a new session by attorney and OSHA-compliance expert Adele L. Abrams will help contractors comply with OSHA regs. In “Complying with OSHA – and What to Do if OSHA Drops In” contractors will learn pitfalls to avoid when conducting in-house safety audits, strategies for training supervisors, and more. Learn more at her site, www.safety-law.com.
Thomas and Patrick McDonald, father/son partners and engineer/consultants in Pavement Maintenance Information Source and co-authors of Guide to Pavement Maintenance (and contributing authors to an upcoming cracksealing article in Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction) will present separately in Memphis. Patrick will tackle “Communication with the Client: Solving Problems before They Start,” will offer tips from the first communication – the contract – through on-the-job issues as well as insights on communicating with tenants. Thomas McDonald will discuss “How Surface Condition and Texture Impact Material Use – and Your Bottom Line” with an emphasis on cracksealing, sealcoating, and slurry seal work. Details about their firm can be found at www.pavementmaintenanceconsulting.com.
But not all new NPE speakers are consultants. NPE is known for inviting contractors to present seminars, and the 2012 program continues that effort.
Todd Bruening, Parking Lot Maintenance Inc., will present on of NPE’s how-to-grow seminars, “How to Crackseal Public Streets with Equipment You Already Have.” Bruening will begin by outlining the equipment needed to perform work for agencies and he’ll also discuss paperwork requirements, bonding, and work through an on-the-road cracksealing job complete with video. Check out what Bruening’s business is like at www.parkingLM.com.
Other new contractor speakers are:
• Vinny Engongoro, Roccie’s Asphalt Paving (http://www.rocciesasphalt.com)
• “Marketing for Contractors – By Contractors” with Nick Howell, T&N Asphalt Services (http://www.tnasphaltservices.com)
• Kevin Kroeger, DSS Sweeping Service, “Rely on ‘Systems’ to Improve Sweeping Profit & Operation” www.DSS-Sweeping.com
• Dan Zurcher, American Striping Inc., “Improving Efficiency on Your Striping Jobs” www.americanstriping.com
In addition to contractors, exhibitors are often invited to present non-selling sessions when the exhibitor has expertise that can benefit contractors. That’s the case with Mike Rorie, GIS Dynamics, which is a respected speaker at many events in the lawn and landscaping industry. Associated with GIS Dynamics, which markets Go iPave among other measuring software and related products, Rorie will present two 90-minute business management sessions: “Why Your Company Needs ‘Systems” and How to Implement Them” and “Why – and How – To Become a Great Employer.” Learn more about Mike and GIS Dynamics at www.gisdynamics.com.
Also exhibiting and presenting two 90-minute sessions is Greg Driskell, Professional Pavement Products. Driskell presented at NPE for the first time last year and is repeating his highly-rated striping session, “Thermoplastic 101: Materials, Application, Troubleshooting and PROFITS.” He will also present a new session, based on extensive research into material drying and curing, “How to Know ‘Weather’ to Sealcoat or Stripe,” which is designed to help contractors interpret weather conditions to help them make job-related decisions. www.pppcatalog.com is the website – and check out the DAF Weather Scale when you’re there.
Other new exhibitor presenters include:
• Tom Allen, KASI Infrared, “Profitable Infrared Work: Understanding the Basics” www.kasiinfrared.com
• Mounque “Monk” Barazone, Geotextile Apparatus Co., “Best Practices for Installing Paving Synthetics” www.gacco.com
• Lee Lowis, Surface Coatings Co., “Basic Sealcoating Principles” www.surfacecoatingsco.com
• Mike Musto, 1-800-PAVEMENT/U.S. Pavement Services, “Marketing Secrets for Paving & Sealcoating Contractors” www.1800pavement.com
• Randy Tattershall, Rayner Equipment Systems, “How to Spray Sealer More Effectively for a Higher-Quality, Higher-Profit Job” www.roadsaver.com
