NECA Blog

All The Latest News from NECA

Sep 26

Announcing David Gregory as Closing General Session Speaker!

david gregory David Gregory, moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, will be the keynote speaker for NECA’s Closing General Session. Gregory will replace Bob Schieffer, who has been called away on assignment.

Regarded as one of the toughest interviewers working in Washington, D.C., Gregory rarely makes public appearances outside of his broadcasts on NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams, Today, and Meet the Press. He was NBC’s chief White House correspondent during George W. Bush’s presidency, leading former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer to say, “No one was a tougher, more aggressive questioner in the briefing room than David Gregory. But when it came time to go on the air, he was always nothing but fair.”

Gregory’s ability to get the real story while staying connected the people behind the news makes him an excellent choice as NECA’s closing general session speaker. At the Closing General Session, he will speak candidly about covering the most powerful office in the world, and talk openly about the role of the popular media, its reputation, and its responsibilities as a form of mass communication.

In his role as moderator of Meet the Press, Gregory helms the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history. Meet the Press is consistently the highest-rated of the Sunday morning talk shows frequented by elected officials and policymakers. Gregory’s interviews go beyond the standing talking points into a robust discussion of actions, possibilities and consequences.

Through terror attacks, two wars, presidential campaigns, policy debates, Supreme Court nominations, and a historic leak investigation, Gregory has earned a reputation for being one of the toughest interrogators of President Bush and press secretaries Scott McClellan and Tony Snow. His reputation has earned him the nickname the “firebrand in the front row,” as well as the distinction of being one of Washington’s 50 best and most influential journalists by Washingtonian magazine.

In the fall of 2005, Gregory became a frequent substitute for Matt Lauer on Today. He has anchored the weekend editions of Nightly News and Today. As a political commentator, he can often be seen and heard on the Chris Matthews Show and Hardball. You won’t want to miss David Gregory as NECA’s Closing General Session speaker!

Sep 26

New Keynote Speaker for Women In NECA Roundtable!

Women In NECA are delighted to announce that Diane Brown, Vice President of Organizational Development for ThomDiane_BrownThe Roundtable is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 14, from 2-4 p.m. and all women attending the convention and trade show are invited to attend.

Diane Brown is known for providing steady leadership and innovative support for the company’s employees. She works primarily in human resources, but Diane is always thinking about the next generation of electrical workers and how to develop their talents.

She has been at T&B for almost 25 years and has spent roughly half of her tenure there in manufacturing or distribution operations in HR and the remainder in T&B’s corporate office in Memphis as the HR leader in several of their businesses.  Diane now has responsibility for a variety of HR-related services including leadership and employee development, talent and succession planning, talent acquisition, internal communication, HR technology and community relations.

Diane has spoken extensively on how women can develop their leadership skills in the electrical industry, including the National Association of Electrical Instructors Women in Industry Forum and the NAED Women in Industry Bootcamp. She also worked with Rutgers University and the University of Memphis to launch a new executive training program called AmpUp – Accelerating Management Performance University Program, an eight-month program focused on building deep, integrated but practice business skills while enhancing the participants’ executive presence and managerial confidence. She also serves as a director for Healthy Memphis.

Diane previously worked in human resources the financial services industry prior to relocating to Memphis and joining American Electric, which was acquired by T&B in 1992.  Diane is the mother of two adult children who live in Memphis and grandmother of six – a granddaughter, a grandson, and four grand dogs.

If you’re a woman working in the electrical industry, please join us for this year’s Women In NECA Roundtable on “Inspiring Leadership!”

Sep 26

101 Reasons to Thank Charlie Trout at the NECA Show

Get your copy of 101 Code Questions Of The Day and meet Code-guru Charlie Trout at the NECA Booth!

Get your copy of 101 Code Questions Of The Day and meet Code-guru Charlie Trout at the NECA Booth!

Charles M. “Charlie” Trout has for many years distinguished himself as the premier source of National Electrical Code knowledge for thousands within our industry. Charlie is now concluding his service on NECA’s Codes and Standards Committee and his involvement in the NEC code-making process. Charlie had reached thousands of participants in the electrical industry as the author of NECA’s popular Code Question of the Day.

To recognize Charlie for his many contributions, NECA has compiled 101 of Charlie’s best Code questions and classic responses from the past two years into a special booklet that will be distributed during Charlie’s guest appearances at the NECA booth during the 2013 NECA Convention in Washington, D.C. Please stop by to thank Charlie for all he’s done to improve industry understanding of the Code!

To receive a guest pass for FREE admission to the 2013 NECA Show and your chance to meet Charlie Trout at the NECA Booth, go to blog.necaconvention.org.

Sep 20

Pre-Convention Workshops Give an Education Head Start for NECA 2013 DC

NECA 2013 Washington DC, the electrical industry’s largest convention and trade show, will include displays from 300 exhibitors, insightful speakers and 19 free technical workshops on the Show floor, Oct. 12-15 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

However, the educational opportunities start before the opening festivities on Saturday, Oct. 12. Special pre-convention workshops starting Friday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Oct. 12 offer an in-depth look at the trends and technology shaping the electrical construction industry. Each workshop is led by the leading experts in the areas covered, and training materials will be provided with course registration. Continuing education units (CEUs) can be earned for each pre-convention workshop.

Pre-convention workshops are generally run longer than convention management seminars and technical workshops. Price varies based on the program. Check the full listing on www.necaconvention.org for prices, dates and times. Instructions for adding a pre-convention workshop to your current registration can be found on blog.necaconvention.org. Popular programs this year include in-depth forums, can-do technology demonstrations, and safety training.

FORUMS

2013 NECA Energy Forum – As our nation strives for energy independence and consumer demand for renewable power and energy conservation continues to rise, electrical contractors are constantly updating their expertise in green energy trends and technology. The NECA 2013 Energy Forum will bring electrical contractors together with leading policy-makers and industry leaders shaping the energy solutions market today.

The speakers and panel discussions at the 2013 NECA Energy Forum are the best source for practical information about the trends, technology, and economic factors affecting the energy market today. Discover the latest advances in emerging technologies, energy efficiency, renewables, energy storage, combined heat and power, and the projected abundance of natural gas can mean for the electrical construction industry.

The Energy Forum will wrap up just in time for the finalists’ presentations for NECA Green Energy Challenge, the annual NECA Student Chapter design competition.
Saturday, Oct. 12, 12-4 p.m. (lunch included)
$145/$75 with full Convention registration/Included with Weekend Package registration

Safety Forum – When it comes to electrical construction, safety is everyone’s job. However, it takes a real leader to make safety a company priority. If you manage a workplace or jobsite safety program, enforce or develop safety standards, supervise workers, oversee a facility, or simply strive for a safe work environment, you need to attend the second annual Safety Forum at NECA 2013 Washington DC.

The Safety Forum goes beyond the basics. It is your opportunity to network with your industry peers, share best practices, and hear directly from the leaders developing and enforcing U.S. safety practices.
Saturday, Oct. 12, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.– Sunday, Oct. 13, 8-10 .m.
$250 member/$599 non-member/Included with Weekend Package registration

TECHNOLOGY

The Crazy World of LEDs and Controlling Them – Light Emitting Diodes are the current darling of lighting efficiency experts, but LED lighting controls can get complicated. This two-hour workshop explains troubleshooting dimmers, wireless controls and sensors, as well as their integration into larger systems. Lighting expert Jim Benya will demonstrate some of the latest products from manufacturers and how to keep up with LED innovations that seem to move at the speed of light.
Saturday, Oct. 12
10 a.m.-12 noon
$95

Leveraging BIM to Drive Scalable Prefabrication – Two industry buzzwords for productivity, “Building Information Modeling” and “prefabrication” will join forces in a two-hour course on how BIM can be integrated into an electrical contractor’s prefabrication operation. See how BIM allows contractors to use a virtual 3-D prototype of the project and map options for prefabricated components, then work with supplier to increase job site efficiency.
Friday, Oct. 11, 1-3 p.m.
$95

SAFETY

OSHA Train-the-Trainer 10-Hour Course – Registrants must have current OSHA 500 or 501 certification to participate in this course on becoming an OSHA 10 Hour trainer. The OSHA 10 Hour is the foundation of safety training for the high-voltage line industry, and the growth in line work nationwide means more trainers are needed to help get all workers safety-ready. This course is offered in cooperation with the OSHA ET&D Partnership.
Friday, Oct. 11, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.– Saturday, Oct. 12, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
$250

2014 National Electrical Code Significant Changes – NECA is an active participant in the NEC development process with representation on each of the 19 National Electrical Code (NEC) technical committees. This four-hour course is an extensive overview of significant changes to the National Electrical Code for the 2014 cycle. Learn what is new and revised, and how these changes may impact your business. Stay ahead of the game by catching a glimpse of some interesting and important NEC revisions in the next edition.
Friday, Oct. 11, 1-5 p.m.
$150

Additional pre-conference workshops are posted online. Instructions for registering adding a pre-convention workshop are posted on the NECA 2013 DC blog, blog.necaconvention.org.

All educational offerings above are fee-based. However, FREE admission to the Show is available. To receive FREE admission to the NECA trade show:

  1. Go to www2.cmrreg.com/neca_c4
  2. Use “PR6F” when asked for your SPECIAL ADMISSION CODE

Sep 17

It’s Not Too Late to Add a Pre-Convention Workshop to Your Registration!

Kudos to you for taking full advantage of the education and special opportunities available at NECA 2013 Washington DC! It’s easy to add a pre-convention workshop, Energy Forum or Safety Forum, additional Opening Reception tickets or a tour to your existing registration. Pre-convention workshops run Friday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Oct. 12, and local tours are scheduled throughout NECA 2013 Washington DC.

You can easily add pre-convention workshops and tours to your existing registration online or call Katie at 301-215-4506 for help.

If you want to make the changes to your registration online, follow these steps:

1. Visit the 2013 Washington registration page: https://www2.cmrreg.com/neca_c4/. (Click on Attendee Registration button at the top right of the NECA Convention website.)

2. Scroll down to “Already Registered?” You will be prompted to enter the confirmation number and email address included in your registration confirmation you should have received by email. Click “Resend Your Confirmation” if you can’t locate your original confirmation email.

3. Click “Review or Change Your Registration.” Your registration contact information will be displayed.

4. Click through the pages until you reach “Pre-Conference Workshops.” Select any workshops you would like to add to your registration. Please note that not all workshops may be available at this time; class size may have maxed out, or the class may have been cancelled.

5. Click through the pages to see if you need to update any other information. The cart at the top of the page will display any items you have added.

6. Click “Update Registration” once you’re finishing reviewing. You will receive an email confirmation of your additional registration items and billing information.

That’s it!

Sep 04

What’s in a Weekend?

Well, if you’re a NECA member who wants a great educational value without a lot of time away from the office, then a NECA 2013 Washington DC Weekend Package could be the best choice for you. Decide what’s in your weekend from two package options, which can be customized with either registration for the Energy Forum or the Safety Forum, along with Sunday, Oct. 13 management seminars, trade show admission and the Opening General Session. You decide if you’d like to include the grand Opening Reception, A Night at the Museum, on Saturday, Oct. 12.

Hope to see you there!

Weekend Packages (Available to NECA Members ONLY):

Package #1 & #2 both include the Energy Forum OR Safety Forum, Sunday General Session, Sunday Management Seminars, Sunday Trade Show with Lunch and Prize Drawing Tickets, Sunday Technical Workshops and Showstopper Showcase.  Package #1 Also includes the Saturday evening Opening Reception.

Weekend Package #1     –     $619.00

Weekend Package #2     –     $519.00

Sep 04

Early Registration Closes Tuesday, Sept. 10!

50 reasons word graphicThere’s less than one week to save on your registration for NECA 2013 Washington DC! The NECA annual convention and tradeshow brings together all the best aspects of NECA in one location, once a year. NECA 2013 Washington, DC will also showcase for one of the association’s key benefits – the ability to grow electrical contractors’ businesses.

Today, all electrical contractors want to strengthen their companies. Successful ones make the annual NECA convention and trade show a part of their business development plans. So register today and save while there’s still time!

Remember, first-time attendees also receive a $100 discount as well! Our weekend pages are a great time- and money-saving option, too.