Training and Education in Tampa
BY AsphaltPro Staff
Of the nearly 50 sessions and five morning huddles taking place during the National Pavement Expo (NPE) this Jan. 23-25, 2024, 80% of them are new to the show and a handful are free sessions you can attend with your exhibit hall pass at The Work Zone Stage. In fact, over half of the speakers EmeraldX is bringing to the show this year are new to the NPE audience, offering fresh voices and ideas to enhance your bottom line.
Show management has added a keynote speaker this year. Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 8 a.m., Justin Ganschow of Caterpillar Safety Services, Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Illinois, will present “Not Just a Bolt-on: Making Safety Everyone’s Job.”
The morning huddles taking place Wednesday are a new feature to this year’s show, offering the following topics for attendees to choose from:
- Striping/Pavement Markings: Conversation leaders will be Dejah Anderson, the COO of Anderson Striping & Construction Inc.; Jim Panzenhagen, the vice president of JMP Excelsior Services LLC; and Gary Stapleton, the operations manager of Anderson Striping & Construction Inc.
- Sales & Marketing: Conversation leaders will be Jacob Buck, the vice president of Buck Brothers Asphalt & Concrete; and Brandon Stanton, a partner at 405 Media Group LLC.
- Business Operations: Conversation leaders will be Chelsea Ellis-Hogan, the president/CEO of Jim Reynolds Asphalt Contractor Inc.; and Shauna Huntington, the owner/CEO of Fortiviti.
- Pavement Preservation: The conversation leader is Tanya Nash, the director of engineering for Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering.
- AI in the Paving Industry: The conversation leader is Ari Bleemer of OneCrew.
Also new to this year’s show is the Fireside Chat. One of those will be hosted by AsphaltPro magazine to facilitate a conversation on how to “Minimize PFAS In Your Milling Operation,” Wednesday afternoon on The Work Zone Stage. Stick around after the chat for the NPE party.
AsphaltPro staff has identified 10 seminars our staff is most excited to attend. Here’s that list of opportunities you might want to make sure are on your bingo card as you get registered for this year’s educational and training tour de force.
- Understanding Pavement Evaluation, Preservation and Repair Options
This workshop in the paving track is presented by Wayne Jones, a senior regional engineer with Asphalt Institute. (Attendees will receive certificates granting 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for this session.)
- Using Asphalt Modifiers to Enhance Pavement Performance
This session in the paving track is presented by Nash.
- Asphalt, Aggregates and Mix Design; What You Need to Know
This session in the paving track is presented by Jones.
- Paving for Quality and the End Result
This session in the paving track is presented by John Ball, the owner of Top Quality Paving & Training.
- Introduction to Thickness Design and Pavement Distresses
This session in the paving track is presented by Jones. (Attendees will receive certificates granting 1.5 PDHs for this session.)
- Achieving Quality Paving
This session in the paving track is presented by Ball.
- How to Stretch Your Paving Dollar
This session in the paving track is presented by Tasha Johnson, the Assistant Director – Engineering Division, for the City of Durham, Department of Public Works.
- Non-Destructive QC/QA on Paving Projects
This session in the paving track is presented by John Lamond, sales manager at TransTech Systems Inc.
- 7 Habits of Highly Successful Producers and Pavers
This session in the paving track is presented by Steve McReynolds, the director of operations for Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering.
- Leading During an Emergency Asphalt Repair
This session in the paving track is presented by Mark Roberts, the project manager for the Kansas Turnpike Authority, and Calon Trulove, the earthwork division manager for Dondlinger Construction.
No matter which sessions or workshops you’re interested in taking your crew to learn from, you can save $50 off your first conference session by using the AsphaltPro code MIPMEN50F when checking out at the NPE registration button.
If you’re interested in only the exhibit hall pass to check out the products and services vendors will be showcasing this year, you don’t have to miss out on education. As mentioned above, The Work Zone Stage, located in the exhibit hall, will have a handful of mini-sessions for learning opportunities. To register for only an exhibit hall pass, use the AsphaltPro code MIPMEN100P to get that for free.
And don’t forget that the AsphaltPro staff has put together its popular “Ask the Expert” series at Booth 1019. Stop by to not only meet the magazine staff and ask about our online training course, but also to ask our paving and pavement maintenance experts the questions that are specific to your operations and best practices.
The website to visit for more information and registration is nationalpavementexpo.com.
Exhibit hall hours for 2024:
Wed., Jan. 24, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 25, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.