NECA Blog

All The Latest News from NECA

Aug 29

Just Announced – Stuart Diamond Will Be Labor Relations General Session Speaker

Negotiator-extraordinaire Stuart Diamond impressed attendees at this year’s Labor Relations Conference so much that NECA has invited him to lead the special Labor Relations Generation Session in Las Vegas.

You’ll actually have two chances to hear Diamond on Monday, Oct. 1: his management workshop/consulting session, Getting More Every Day, from 8-9:50 a.m., and the General Session, starting at 10 a.m. Diamond will focus on the problems and prospects of emerging markets and international business challenges in an environment of change from his latest bestseller, Getting More.

Diamond’s Getting More presentation discusses how the business world is notoriously perceived as combative, dominated by an aggressive conflict model of negotiation. However, Diamond shows how moving from this combative model provides a massive advantage. Counter-intuitive to its core, his process focuses on finding and valuing the other party’s emotions and perceptions to create far more value. In this presentation, you’ll learn how to ask questions of the other party, glean the “pictures in their heads” and ultimately, persuade them. Armed with new persuasive power, you and your business will be more competitive than ever before.

Diamond is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, Wharton Business School professor and president of the Global Strategy Group. In addition to advising corporate and government leaders in more than 40 countries on negotiation and cultural diversity, Diamond’s negotiation course at Wharton is consistently ranked as one of the school’s most popular. He has taught negotiation at Harvard Law School, from which he holds a law degree and is a former Associate Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project.

As president of Global Strategy Group, Diamond advises companies and governments on negotiating foreign investment and devising strategies, structures and marketing to compete effectively on an international scale – essentially the skills of planning and persuasion – for some of the world’s leading companies.

Diamond will sign copies of his latest book on negotiation, the New York Times bestseller Getting More, following the General Session.

Aug 29

Connecting with the Best and Brightest at NECA 2012 Las Vegas

Along with new technology, NECA 2012 Las Vegas will feature new talent – enthusiastic members of NECA’s student chapters from 27 universities, all looking to connect with NECA contractors. Here’s how you can meet them at the convention.

The 2012 NECA Student Chapter Summit will convene on Sunday, Sept. 30 from 3-5 p.m. Contractors are invited to drop in during the summit for a spin around the Speed Interview and Networking Session. You’ll get eight minutes to meet with the students to discuss possible internship and mentoring opportunities. Students will come with their resumes and questions about the skills managers look for; contractors should come with business cards and career advice.

These students will be the next generation of NECA contractors, and they are eager to learn what skills will help them in the electrical construction industry. Please consider stopping by the Student Chapter Summit to meet the students your chapter has partnered with, plus others from around the country.

Learn more about the 2012 NECA Student Chapter Summit and save 20 percent on your job posting on the NECA Career Center. >>

Aug 29

Already a Winner With Lower Room Rates for NECA 2012 Las Vegas!

Guess what? Registration for NECA 2012 Las Vegas is so good, you’re getting a perk before you even arrive – a new, lower room rate for the Mandalay Bay Hotel! The new registration rates will be $109/night for Sept. 25, 26 and 27; $189/night for Sept. 28, 29 and 30; and $139/night for Oct. 1, 2 and 3.

The new rates will be applied to new and previous housing reservations for the hotel. So what are you waiting for? Register today for the industry’s favorite (and affordable) annual event! >>

Aug 22

See the NECA Show for the WIN Tools – Stay for the WIN Roundtable!

NECA’s newest member community, Women In NECA (WIN) will take a break from demonstrating the great WIN items from Milwaukee Electric and Graybar to host its third annual Roundtable Discussion.

The WIN Roundtable will offer a wide-ranging panel discussion with three successful women NECA contractors – Susan Ernst, Lynne Harker and Gloria Ashford, moderated by WIN Chair Rachel Barber. Panelists will answer questions about how WIN members can gain skills to help their companies succeed in executive management, industry advocacy and field management.

The WIN Roundtable focused on issues affecting professional development and opportunities for women working in electrical contracting. Each panelist will share her unique experience and insight, and women attending NECA 2012 Las Vegas are encouraged to offer their perspectives as well.

This event is open to all women attending NECA 2012 Las Vegas. A joint reception with Future Leaders and NECA’s Business Development Working Group will be open to WIN Roundtable attendees from 4-5 p.m.

Women In NECA Roundtable Discussion
Monday, October 1, 2012
2-4 p.m.

Aug 22

Latest NEIS on PV Installation Featured at NECA 2012 Las Vegas

When NECA 412-2012, Standard for Installing and Maintaining Photovoltaic Systems (ANSI), was released earlier this summer, it quickly proved one of the most popular NEIS ever published.  The pre-convention workshop, Installing & Maintaining Photovoltaic (PV) Systems, will be led by Gregory Massey, P.E. , author of NECA 412 and several other NEIS.

The highly anticipated standard describes the application procedures for installing photovoltaic (PV) power systems and components. NECA 412 complements the National Electrical Code (NEC) rules with essential information about quality and performance aspects of the photovoltaic equipment that transforms solar energy into electric power.

The workshop gives additional insight into PV installations, including how to perform effective site assessments and providing customers with Code-compliant installations of PV systems and equipment in residential and commercial occupancies. Attendees will receive their own copy of NECA 412.

Installing & Maintaining Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
Friday, September 28, 2012
1-3 p.m.
Session Type: Pre-Convention Workshops
Location: Mandalay Bay
Speaker: Gregory Massey, P.E.
Fee: $89

Aug 22

See NECAWORKS Demo at the NECA Show: Now With Wind Power Module!

The NECA Energy Solutions Booth (#1749) will offer a great opportunity for NECA Show-goers to review and discuss the energy solutions market with peers who are already growing new business beyond building construction.

Check out the schedule of events available at the booth, and plan to join roundtable discussions and short presentations with members of the Energy Solutions Task Force and other emerging market leaders. Also, live demonstrations of NECAWORKS™, including the new wind power module, will be held several times each day!

You can see a full list of the NECA Show exhibitors and customize a map of the booths you want to visit.

Aug 22

Pre-Convention Workshops Still Available at Early Registration Rates!

Pre-Convention workshops at NECA 2012 Las Vegas are still available at early registration rates – but classes fill up quickly! Technical experts and hands-on learning make these sessions more popular every year. So don’t miss out on the industry’s best educational value with a half- or full-day pre-convention course!

Check out Pre-Convention Workshops and Weekend Registration Packages Now! >>

Aug 14

Pre-Convention Workshop on “Making CW/CE Work for You”

If you are interested in the future of organized electrical contracting and want to know what you can do to help our sector increase competitiveness and productivity while helping your own company in the process, plan to arrive early for NECA 2012 Las Vegas. We are offering a Pre-Convention Workshop that will address the utilization of Construction Wiremen (CWs) and Construction Electricians (CEs).

This workshop — “Making CW/CE Work for You: What You Need to Know and What You Need to Do” — is scheduled for Friday, September 28 (1:00-3:00 p.m.). The registration fee is only $89.

If the CW/CE initiative has already been adopted in your area, the workshop will give you the tools you need to make using these worker classifications more efficient and profitable for your company. If you don’t have CW/CE in your labor agreement yet, this workshop will provide insights on how you and your fellow NECA chapter members can convince your union counterparts to adopt it.

Electrical Contractors who commit to using CW/CEs need a change in their business model. The workshop will address such topics as:

  • Evaluating Scope and Crew Cost: How do we get our Labor Units Down?
  • Estimating Using CW/CE Crews: How Should I Bid This?
  • Managing Crew and Assessing Skill Levels: How do we set the Skill Level in the Field?
  • Tracking Productivity
  • Getting our IBEW Crews to Accept this Workforce

Discussion will include an examination of CW/CE and where we are now, past labor models, and how we can change.

David Long, senior vice president and COO at Miller Electric in Jacksonville, Florida, and the winner of the 2012 Coggeshall Award, has been instrumental in getting the CW/CE program to work under the original Florida Initiative and has travelled all over the country to promote the program. He will present the CW/CE workshop in Las Vegas. Joining David in his presentation will be NECA Field Representatives David Ward(Midwestern Region), Frank Piatt (Eastern Region) and Bob Mooty (Management Consultant, Estimating).

Please consider adding this Pre-Convention Workshop to your registration. (If you’ve already registered, it’s easy to make a change!) Online registration for NECA 2012 Las Vegas >>

Aug 14

Women In NECA Launch Special Tool Promotion

Come see the ladies of Women In NECA (WIN) wield the finest products from Milwaukee Electric Tools at the NECA Show as part of their special promotion.

Together with NECA Premier Partners Milwaukee Tools and Graybar, WIN is bringing the best in tools and apparel from Milwaukee’s latest product line, inscribed with the WIN logo August 15 through October 15, at the same price as standard items.

Best of all, WIN members will be sharing space on the NECA Show floor with Milwaukee and Graybar’s booths. Stop by to check out the special screwdriver kit, hammer drill kit and heated jackets, and learn how WIN is supporting the professional development of industry women. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of WIN promo tools will go to the American Heart Association.

Check out the WIN tools in NECA’s online store now, or place your order at the NECA Show!

Aug 13

Meet the 2012 Green Energy Challenge Finalists

A highlight of recent NECA conventions, the annual ELECTRI International Green Energy Challenge student design competition will feature four finalist teams in Las Vegas —  Georgia Tech, Iowa State University, University of Washington, and Youngstown State University

The teams will make their presentations in Las Vegas on September 29 immediately following the 2012 NECA Energy Forum. Each team is made up of construction management and engineering students who participate in their university’s student chapter of NECA. This year marks the first time four finalist teams have been chosen, as opposed to three.

“Energy Forum participants enjoy finishing the day hearing about the students’ visions of the industry’s future,” said Rob Colgan, NECA executive director, market development and Energy Forum organizer. “The Forum focuses on electrical contractors learning from each other, sharing how different companies are incorporating a variety of energy solutions work into their businesses. Then we can see how the next generation is using that information to create real changes for buildings on their campuses.”

More information about the 2012 Green Energy Challenge >>