Marching Orders

As 2010 begins, construction and demolition contractors will likely look back at the harsh economic and industrial environments of 2009 with a spirit of "good riddance." However, while the new year may bring a clean slate and hopes of a market recovery, thus far signals of an economic rebound are still unclear.

In the construction and demolition markets in particular, uncertainty about whether stimulus spending or other factors will boost activity means contractors are having difficulty forecasting what to expect in the near future. Two opportunities to gain insight will be arriving soon.

In late March, two Las Vegas events will bring together contractors, C&D recyclers and equipment suppliers as industry experts diagnose current market conditions, offer advice to improve operations and predict what future markets will hold.

NDA 37th ANNUAL CONVENTION
The National Demolition Association (NDA) will be holding its 37th Annual Convention from March 20 to 23 at The Mirage Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The event serves as a meeting place for demolition professionals and equipment vendors to discuss the latest issues affecting the industry and to explore the latest innovations in demolition equipment.

The 37th Annual Convention will kick off on Saturday, March 20, with the 23rd Annual Golf Tournament at Silverstone Golf Club and will be followed by three full days of membership meetings, equipment exhibitions and expert presentations designed to offer insight into current issues affecting the demolition industry.

On Sunday, March 21, the first official day of the event, members of the NDA are invited to attend committee and board meetings from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, the exhibit hall will be open from noon to 4 p.m. so attendees can get a glimpse into the latest developments in equipment technology. That evening, the association will formally welcome all attendees with a cocktail reception in the ballroom.

Educational programming for the event will begin on Monday, March 22, with the keynote presentation titled "Leadership in Times of Crisis" being given by retired U.S. Army Gen. Daniel L. Christman. The general served in various positions throughout his military career including assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, head of a Strategic Planning Group during the 1991 Gulf War and superintendent of West Point. Christman’s keynote will discuss the skills and talents needed to be a leader in challenging times and also how to develop the next generation of management in an organization.

"If you are looking for advice about how to deal with one of the 21st century’s major management issues, don’t miss General Daniel Christman’s keynote address," says the NDA conference brochure.

Additional programming of interest to demolition contractors include a Monday session discussing crisis management, and Tuesday sessions exploring planning for economic recovery, maintaining a safe working environment and how contractors can capitalize on increased attention being paid to green marketing and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards. The exhibit hall will also be open on Monday and Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event also will feature a social networking opportunity on Monday night at the "Beatles Love Extravaganza." According to the program, this event will be a Beatles-themed party complete with a dance party band and go-go dancers. Attendees are encouraged to dress in traditional 1960s or 1970s attire.

The convention will conclude with the NDA’s annual banquet to be held on Tuesday evening in the Mirage’s grand ballroom. During the banquet, the NDA says new board members will be introduced, outgoing board members will be recognized, scholarships will be presented and the Lifetime Achievement Award will be given.

More information about registering or exhibiting at the event is available at www.demolitionassociation.com.

C&D WORLD 2010
Just five days after exhibitors and attendees of the NDA Convention leave town, many of them may find themselves on flights back to Las Vegas to attend the C&D World 2010 Exhibition and Conference to be held March 28 to 30 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The conference is put on by Mining Media Publications and is held in conjunction with the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) Annual Meeting.

According to the event’s Web site, this year’s conference "will offer more opportunities to meet and mingle with the most important decision makers in the industry."

Programming for the conference will begin on the morning of Monday, March 29, with the keynote address provided by Anthony Lomangino, president of Sun Recycling, a recycler of construction and demolition materials based in Florida. Following the keynote, attendees can take advantage of three additional programming sessions.

Immediately after the keynote, Dr. Tuncer Edil, from the University of Wisconsin and the Recycled Materials Resource Center, will present a session titled "Engineering Characteristics of Recycled Aggregates." At 11 a.m. an assembled panel will discuss trends and developments affecting recycled wood, vinyl and asphalt products. Among the panelists will be Rich Krock from the Vinyl Institute and Paul Lum from Lafarge, a multi-national producer of building materials. The final Monday session will feature speaker T.E. Shirley from the U.S. Army in a session titled "U.S. Army’s Facility Reduction Program and C&D Recycling."

The Rio Hotel’s Voodoo Lounge will be the site of the CMRA Issues & Education Fundraising Dinner to begin Monday night at 6:30 p.m. The dinner will be emceed by Jonathan Hixon, president of the CMRA.

On Tuesday, attendees can gain more insight into their markets with two morning sessions. The first will examine how LEED certification has impacted and will impact the recycling of C&D materials while the second session will provide an update on recycling concrete that contains lead-based paint.

C&D World 2010 will conclude with the CMRA membership meeting where the association will present the new board of directors and announce awards. Following the meeting, members will be invited to the CMRA Golf Outing to take place at Silverstone Golf Club at 12:30 p.m.

Throughout the conference, refreshment breaks and receptions will be held in the exhibit hall, where contractors can network with other industry professionals and view a variety of equipment used by C&D recyclers.

More information about the 2010 C&D World Exhibition and Conference can be found at www.mining-media.com/events/cdworld_event. C&DR