NECA Blog

All The Latest News from NECA

Sep 17

Stop by the NECA Booth #1038 for your NECA 2014 Chicago polo and wind shirt

Stop by the NECA Booth # 1038 on the show floor to check out our NECA 2014 Chicago polo and wind shirt.  We will also be selling the most up-to-date NECA publications.

NECA 2014 Chicago Apparel Hours

Sunday, September 28
11:30 am to 5:00 pm

Monday, September 29
11:30 am to 4:00 pm

Tuesday, September 30
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

2014 NECA Convention Store (Booth #1038)

  • 2014 NECA Navy Polo (SM-XL)……………..$50
  • 2014 NECA Navy Polo (2XL)………………….$53
  • 2014 NECA Navy Polo (3XL)…………………$56
  • 2014 NECA Cream Wind Shirt (SM-XL)…………$60
  • 2014 NECA Cream Wind Shirt (2XL)…………….$63
  • 2014 NECA Cream Wind Shirt (3XL)……………..$66

All orders and requests for custom embroidery quotes should be placed with Kara Melenez , Summit Group at 1-800-560-0088 or emailed to kara.melendez@summitmg.com.

Sep 09

Avoid Lines and Save an Trip to the Convention Center

Satellite Registration Areas Offer Extra Convenience for NECA 2014 Chicago Attendees

Avoid lines and save an extra trip to the convention center!

Arriving early for NECA 2014 ChicagoHere’s some great news! If you have already registered online by then, you won’t have to trek to all the way to the convention center at McCormick West and wait in long lines to pick up your badge, tickets and convention bag. We are offering satellite registration areas at two hotels where you can grab these items and be on your way. 

Temporary satellite registration will be available on Friday, September 26, and Saturday, September 27between the hours of 7:30am and 5:00pm both days, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago (at 131 E. Wacker Drive) and Palmer House (at 17 E. Monroe Street). We have selected these two locations because they are in close proximity to other 2014 NECA Chicago Hotels. That means, every NECA 2014 Chicago registrant who arrives early can take advantage of this offer of extra convenience! 

Our satellite registration area at the Hyatt Regency Chicago will be located at Skyway 261, Blue Level, East Tower. To collect your badge, tickets and convention bag at Palmer House, go to Bay 3 & 4.

  • FYI 1: Nothing beats the convenience of having immediate access to a one-stop shop for NECA 2014 Chicago information. Get the FREE NECA 2014 Chicago mobile app.
  • FYI 2: Our registration area at McCormick West first opens at 7:30am Friday, September 26. For hours of operation (and details on anything related to NECA 2014 Chicago), check the full schedule.
  • FYI 3: Complimentary shuttle service begins Saturday morning, September 27. Get full shuttle information. – See more at: http://www.necanet.org/news/news-release-archive/news/2014/09/07/satellite-registration-areas-offer-extra-convenience-for-neca-2014-chicago-attendees#sthash.SsnVqHLe.dpuf

Aug 20

Labor Relations Special Session Topic Announced; Education Focus

The topic for the Labor Relations special session at NECA 2014 Chicago has been set. It will be “Technology, Training and Addressing the Worker Shortage.”

The session will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept 29. Leaders in the electrical construction industry, including IBEW President Ed Hill and Electrical Training Alliance Executive Director Mike Callanan, will join us to showcase our new state-of-the-art training and delivery systems.

They will discuss how we can use these assets to attract and train more qualified workers to meet the projected growth in our industry. The IBEW has made organizational changes to increase their emphasis on organizing and recruiting new apprentices, skilled electrical workers and contractors in emerging markets.

For more information on NECA 2014 Chicago visit NECAConvention.org »

Aug 14

USA Today Reports: Chicago is the “go-to destination for meetings and events”

Industry leaders attending NECA 2014 Chicago – and those still considering it – have even more reason now.

credit: wikipediaChicago has been tabbed as the go-to destination for meetings and events, according to a recent report in USA Today. The Midwestern city will be home to NECA’s annual convention from Sept. 27-30.

According to the report, Cvent, a technology company that connects event planners with tens of thousands of venues, looked at its booking data from July 2013 to June 2014.00 The company found that Chicago had inched up to first place compared with the previous year, overtaking Orlando, which now is second, followed by Las Vegas.

“It’s an easy city to host a meeting, and it has a culture.”

– Heather Middleton, spokeswoman for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation

 

NECA 2014 Chicago attendees will be able to meet and network with peers; discover thousands of product and service solutions; explore and prepare for new markets; grow their businesses and boost productivity; and train with the experts.

Register for NECA 2014 Chicago Today! »

Read the USA Today report »

Aug 07

Register Now! Today is the Last Day to Save With Chicago Early Registration Rates

Don’t miss out on this Exciting Opportunity – Save with early rates before August 7

Join us September 27-30, for the NECA 2014 Chicago convention & trade show at the McCormick Place West, Chicago, IL. Early registration ends tomorrow, Thursday August 7, save with early rates – don’t delay!

The NECA Convention is an exciting mix of opportunities for education, inspiration, networking, and fun!

Several Ways to Attend:

REGISTER NOW »


Why should you attend NECA 2014 Chicago?

NECA 2014 Chicago is your place to:

  • Meet & network with your peers
  • Discover thousands of product and service solutions
  • Explore and prepare for new markets
  • Grow your company’s business and boost productivity – train with the experts
  • Save time and money on the job and get more work!

What will you find at the #1 Electrical Construction Trade Show?

  • The best industry resources for executive management, project managers, purchasing agents
  • Best practices and compliance information
  • Thousands of new products, service solutions and live demos on the show floor

LEARN MORE AT NECACONVENTION.ORG »

With NECA 2014 Chicago you will take home extensive industry knowledge that you can implement in your daily business.

Jul 23

Don’t Miss Out on this Exciting Opportunity – Register for NECA 2014 Chicago Today!

Join us September 27-30, for the NECA 2014 Chicago convention & trade show at the McCormick Place West, Chicago, IL. Registration is now open!

The NECA Convention is an exciting mix of opportunities for education, inspiration, networking, and fun!

The #1 trade show of it’s kind in the electrical construction industry. NECA is proud to present the largest gathering of manufacturers and distributors showcasing thousands of solutions contractors need to save time and money on the job, and grow their business.

Several Ways to Attend:

Register Now»

Jul 18

Chicago’s Must-See Sights: Part 5

Magnificent Mile

photo from www.luxurytravelmagazine.com

One of the most famous avenues in the world is north Michigan Avenue which is affectionately referred to as the “Magnificent Mile”.  Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, this 13-block stretch of road goes from the Chicago River to the south to Oak Street to the north extending a full square mile.  The stretch includes residences, retailers, boutiques, restaurants, museums, hotels, and education and medical facilities.  In 1909 local planners devised a plan to transform Michigan Avenue from an Indian trading post to a major commercial boulevard titling the plan the ‘Chicago Plan’.  The planners envisioned the ‘Chicago Plan’ as becoming similar to the Champs Elysees in Paris.  They started the process by widening the street and building the Michigan Avenue bridge across the Chicago River.  The purpose of the bridge was to connect the older south section of Michigan Avenue with the new north section.  In a plan to draw shoppers and businesses to the new district, the city helped to build the Wrigley Building right next to the bridge in 1920 and the Tribune Tower just a couple of years later.  In 1947 real estate developer Arthur Rubloff who was the leader of The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, which had been created in 1912 to develop and promote the project, began an extensive promotional campaign to revitalize the district.  During this campaign he coined the term “The Magnificent Mile”.  The most famous building on the stretch of road is the John Hancock Building.  Opening in 1970, the building rises 100 stories which, at the time, made it the tallest building in the world.  To build the structure, the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company invested $100 million in the project.

Jul 07

Chicago’s Must-See Sights: Part 4

Historic Water Tower

img src: wikimedia.org

Built in 1869, the Chicago water tower is 154 feet high.  The building was originally commissioned to hold the 138 foot tall standpipe that would help the water flow and pressure for the pumping station.  While the standpipe was removed in 1911, the pumping station is still in use.  The importance of the water tower and pumping station is that they are two of the only buildings in the city that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.  The water tower’s importance is that it stands as a symbol for the rebuild of the city of Chicago which gave it the nickname “Second City”.

More “Second City” Happenings:

Join NECA for a very special lifestyle program presenting the best of the Second City, Monday September 29 at 10:00pm.

SecondCity

Celebrating 50 Years of Funny

The Second City, America’s first improvisational theater troupe, has helped launch the careers of countless stars, including Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell, just to name a few. This year’s Lifestyles program is a revue featuring the best sketches from their stages, along with improv games that will allow the audience to make suggestions that the performers will spin into comedy gold.

May 29

Registration for NECA 2014 Chicago Opens

NECA 2014 Chicago Registration is Now Open!

credit: wikipediaRegistration for NECA 2014 Chicago is now open.  The NECA 2014 Chicago  convention and trade show is headed back to the Windy City for the first time since 2008 and this year it’s bigger and better than ever.  NECA 2014 Chicago has brought back some of your favorite events and added new ones that will help your business.  You can choose one two packages to make the most of this year’s NECA convention.

NECA 2014 Chicago will be returning many popular events from the NECA 2013 Washington D.C. convention including: the Opening Reception, Lifestyle Program, Showstopper Showcase, NECA Show, and the Closing Celebration. While NECA looks to bring back popular events, they also look to add new events that will help members and their businesses. This year we’re adding a new education system where each event will be categorized by track, or related topic, to help attendees better plan their schedule. Another exciting new event will be the job fair which will bring NECA’s student chapters to NECA members.

There are two ways that you can enjoy NECA 2014 Chicago, the best way is to sign up for full registration. Full registration is your all-access pass to everything that the 2014 NECA convention has to offer.  With full registration, you’ll have access to the opening reception at the famous Field Museum, two general sessions featuring famous stockbroker Chris Gardner and former Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill, convention education, labor relations session, chapter job fair, lifestyle program featuring Second City, nineteen technical workshops, Showstopper Showcase, daily prize ticket drawings, member spouse gift, three days of NECA Show including lunch, and the Closing Celebration featuring Jim Belushi and Sacred Hearts Band. The second way you can experience NECA 2014 Chicago is to sign up for the weekend package.  The weekend package will give you access to the Opening Reception, the Business Development Session, the NECA Show, nineteen technical workshops, the Showstopper Showcase, and the daily prize drawings.

NECA 2014 Chicago will be the biggest and best NECA convention yet, so don’t wait. Registration is now open so make sure to reserve your spot at the premier event of the year for the electrical construction industry.

Register Now >>