Education Sessions
Monday, October 16
8:30-9:30 AM
Brandon Gainer: Federated Insurance
Whether you’re currently using bonded work to grow your business, or are interested in exploring bonded work, this seminar will help you understand the opportunities and exposures of bonded work. The process of qualifying for and utilizing construction bonds to grow your business isn’t as complicated as you might believe. We’ll explain in a simple and transparent manner the three keys to an effective working and mutually beneficial, relationship with your surety. We will also explain different types of bonds, along with the obligations and exposures of each. The characteristics of successful contractors to help you benchmark your own business will be examined as well. Lastly, you’ll learn how to negotiate with your surety to best position your business in this arena. We make surety simple.
Alan Manche: Schneider Electric
Significant changes are happening through a shift in NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, requiring electrical maintenance to become an integral aspect of your infrastructure operation. Join Alan Manche, Vice President, External Affairs, as he prepares you for the changes that will have a direct impact on the safety, performance, reliability, and ongoing maintenance of your electrical installations. During this session, he will also review existing maintenance strategies and best practices to give insight into how you can prepare for changing standards. Leave this session armed with the latest knowledge to ensure your operations thrive in the electrified and digital future.
Christopher Hobbs: BICSI
Are you looking to turn your best field personnel into successful project managers for your organization? In this session, we will give business leaders and potential project managers an understanding of expectations and the necessary training and skills needed to transition field personnel into project management roles.
Tyler Andrews: PoE Texas
Top subject matter experts in designing, project managing, deploying, and commissioning PoE Lighting and Automation perform hands-on demonstrations on how to plan and deploy a PoE lighting and automation system from drawing markups to turn-over documentation. This masterclass will cover practical skills, lessons learned, and best practices for deploying a PoE lighting system from sizing the network gear to installing light fixtures to ensuring a successful handover to building owners and developers.
Ken Brooks: Trimble
Using labor correction and performance factors to reduce risk in your estimates.
Check out the Speaker Snapshot with Ken Brooks
9:45-10:45 AM
Steve Killius: Legrand
The labor market is in crisis mode: currently, the number of projects and job postings outnumber the number of electricians and electrical contractors tenfold. In today’s industry, we are seeing a record number of older electrical contractors retiring, a lack of “interest” in younger generations, and the growth of technology continues to advance (think the electrification of everything!) – we can’t keep up with demand. In this talk, we will delve into the challenges of today’s labor market and offer multiple solutions for IEC electrical contractors to successfully navigate the current climate and continue to grow their businesses efficiently. These topics will include embracing the fast growth, expansion, and deployment of new technologies that create opportunities for electrical contractors, utilizing the latest tools, technology, and processes that enable efficiency and productivity, and workforce development to maintain talent in the pipeline.
Marissa Bankert: IEC PA
If you want to do things like recruit and retain talent, grow your business, and be successful in the electrical industry. The construction trades are some of the last to adopt this concept and it shows. This session will teach you what culture means (in easy-to-learn concepts), how to create it (step by step), and how to maintain it (walk the walk) all while running a business every day! Defining what culture is and why it’s important. Step by step on how to create it (or improve it). Learn how to maintain culture once you have it going!
Mike Iacobellis: NCSCB
This will be an introduction and informational session on medium voltage and cable splicing.
Tyler Andrews: PoE Texas
This masterclass will cover the value proposition, target markets, and answer questions about a PoE lighting system to communicate effectively with architects, owners, and developers. Learn why PoE Lighting grows by 30% year over year and how to grow your revenue.
Thomas L Hudgin II: Wilmington Quality Associates
Here today, here tomorrow is every electrical contractor’s dream for long-term business success. To achieve this goal, you must be superb and passionate about beating your competition and becoming the best in customer service. This is critical not only to survive in today’s challenging economy but to be on top. This presentation describes effective techniques for developing a superior customer service image at little or no cost. Topics include five ground rules for a superior customer service team, ways to exceed customer expectations, fixing problems two ways, asking for constant feedback from customers, determining what your customers value most, getting rid of your telephone menu system, and figuring out why customers go to your competition.
Checkout the Speaker Snapshot with Thomas L. Hudgin II
Tuesday, October 17
8:30-9:30 AM
Jeff T. Leslie: Ogletree
The Biden administration continues to crank out one regulatory proposal after another. With so many, it may be hard to keep track. This session will provide an update on regulations that significantly impact merit shop electrical contractors. From OSHA requirements to NLRB rulings to new DOL rules, learn exactly what you need to be aware of to keep your business in compliance.
Corbett Nichter & Lonnie Satsky: Map Built & TCCO
Learn about the different perspectives local general contractors deal with on a daily basis. Learn best practices and issues that occur. This session will be lead by United Rentals.
Justin Azbill: Milwaukee Tool
Leveraging technology within tools that highlight the difference between using manual tools versus cordless tool technology. This presentation will show ways to improve the Ergonomic Mindset of your Trade Professionals while leveraging current technology data and talking points vs manual tool use and poor posture habits. Milwaukee Tool’s technology is used while designing tools that focus on balance use of tools, decreasing muscle fatigue, and reducing long-term wrist, shoulder, and finger injuries.
Claire Wilson: Siteline
The billing process in construction is notoriously stressful and can put a strain on the relationship between trade contractors and general contractors. The onus is on the subcontractor to submit all of the required paperwork in order to get paid for completed work. As a subcontractor, you spend hours poring over emails, playing phone tag with your field team, and collecting lien waivers, but somehow, at least one payment is always put on hold due to missing documentation or rejected payment applications.
John Pallasch: One Workforce Solutions
Understanding and leveraging the recent emergence of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models. This technology, like the computer and wifi before, can assist and improve with recruitment and retention of workers, while also increasing safety and performance of current workers. We will examine how and why these developments should be viewed through the prism of growth and opportunity, rather than fear and uncertainty.
9:45-10:45 AM
Alex Goodson: ABB
“Global megatrends are shifting towards decarbonization, decentralization and digitalization. These exciting trends are leading to increases in renewable generation, new loads from electric vehicles and an array of distributed assets along the distribution grid. In order to support these trends, energy storage solutions (ESS) will be a critical component within the grid of the future. Alexandra Goodson will review how an ESS is designed and ESS applications supporting today’s global megatrends.
Megatrends: The 3D’s for the Grid
Decentralized On-Site Generation
- Decarbonized Limit Global Warming
- Digitized Smart is New Green
Kyle Raabe: Generac
As demand for power continues to increase due to increasing adoption of EVs, the ‘electrification of everything’, and population growth, the aging grid is being stretched beyond capacity. During this session, Kyle will share a brief glimpse into the future of the US electrical grid, as well as growth opportunities that have emerged for the electrical contractor sector.
Checkout the Speaker Snapshot for Kyle Raabe
Giovanni Marcelli: Northern Transformer Corporation
This seminar provides proven methodologies and tools that clearly illustrate how contractors can create a solid and long-term successful business model.
Checkout the Speaker Snapshot for Giovanni Marcelli
Dr. Heather Moore & Phil Nimmo: MCA
During this session, we will focus on planning, scheduling, and the categorization of obstacles on the job site. Allowing a feedback loop at each level in your company (crew, job, project, and company). This insight is unlike any other, allowing you to accurately plan for resources, material, and tools by capturing the learning and allowing transparency in real-time to what is happening on the job.
Wendy Christie: HR Associates USA
Employee handbooks are expensive for employers to develop and maintain. This class will discuss the laws, regulations, benefits and downfalls of having an employee handbook. Some courts interpret language in employee handbooks as a binding contract, so the class also covers how to avoid any unconditional promises of employment. Discuss how to make sure your handbook covers a variety of important business practices but also how to avoid an “unmanageable” handbook. The wrong employee handbook can expose you to unnecessary risks and costly mistakes this class will help you reduce those risks.
Checkout the Speaker Snapshot with Wendy Christie
Wednesday, October 18
8:30-9:30 AM
Terry Kelm: SunBelt Advisors
At some point, every owner transitions out of their business. For some, that transition may be in the near future, while others are decades away from leaving their business. No matter where you currently are in your business life cycle, it is never too early to start thinking about what the end looks like. In this session, Terry Kelm with Sunbelt Re-sales will discuss topics related to preparing your business for your inevitable departure. While the value of a business is truly what a willing buyer will pay for it, this session will discuss proven strategies for maximizing the value. We will help you determine what the value of your business is today; what buyers look for when buying a privately held business; and how you can maximize your value through preparation and planning for a successful exit from your business. Other topics related to divestiture, including tax strategies and financing for the buyer, will also be discussed.
Checkout the Speaker Snapshot with Terry Kelm
Joseph Cappeta and Miguel Rivera: Eaton
Learn how to simplify your power system design and EV charging deployment by integrating EV charging technology into your power distribution infrastructure. During this session, we will determine how to right size the charger for your application, explore various form factors of the charger, and learn how to integrate the technology into familiar power distribution equipment. Additionally, we will discuss the commissioning process of the charger to charge network management software.
Understanding power distribution systems and exposure to EV charging will be necessary to make the most of this session.
Check out the Speaker Snapshot with Joseph Cappeta and Miguel Rivera
Karla Nugent: Weifield
Both the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Electrical Contractors Association agree that every new year creates an additional shortage of 3,000 electricians. There are 7,000 new electricians that enter the field every year, while 10,000 leave it. At the same time, the need for electricians will increase by 10% in the next decade. In this presentation, learn how to find and retain valuable team members – through the discovery of effective multi-generational work strategies, learning what motivates today’s workforce and how to develop a culture of engagement, and understanding the connection between retention of valuable electrical tradespeople and innovative approaches and tools such as the implementation of flexible work, external employee assistant services, career pathing and culture of engagement.
Ryan Jackson
This two-hour session highlights some of the most important changes in the 2023 National Electrical Code, including the Code-wide changes, new structuring of Article 100, new Code articles, new GFCI requirements, working space changes, energy management systems, residential kitchen requirements, required locations for surge protection, and new calculations for electric vehicles.
Don Ferguson and Danna Stone: Graybar
9:45-10:45 AM
Charles Hume: Southwire
The technological transformation of building electrical systems presents enormous opportunities for the industry. Data and power are increasingly integrated into one common system that reduces energy consumption, reduces labor, and increases occupant comfort. The key technologies of class 4 power and Power over Ethernet (PoE) are enabling this transition. Class 4 circuits have been approved by UL and incorporated into the 2023 National Electric Code. Class 4 circuits allow for the touch-safe transmission of kilowatts of power over long distances, with the ability to be electronically protected against electrical faults. PoE fits well with class 4 power, providing up to 90W of power on a connectorized solution that seamlessly integrates data and power. Southwire will describe how these new technologies can be integrated sustainably to increase productivity and lower costs.
Martin Martinez: Crawford Electric
Overview of Prefab including Labor Savings and Schedule Impact. Prefab as a scaleable solution from modular components to detailed build sheets and installation drawings.
Check out the Speaker Snapshot with Martin Martinez
Michael Sauer: Scorpion
For Electrical business owners who are interested in learning how their business’ value will be calculated, want to know what their business is currently worth and what factors increase or decrease the final selling price. During this interactive workshop, you will gain valuable insight on critical items such as what the #1 most important thing business owner’s must start implementing NOW, when you should start planning to sell your business, and the factors that increase and decrease the final sale price.
Ryan Jackson
This two-hour session highlights some of the most important changes in the 2023 National Electrical Code, including the Code-wide changes, new structuring of Article 100, new Code articles, new GFCI requirements, working space changes, energy management systems, residential kitchen requirements, required locations for surge protection, and new calculations for electric vehicles.
Alex Carey: Greenlee
Electrical contractors are facing skilled labor shortages and the electrical cable pull process remains one of most labor-intensive task’s electricians undertake. This session will discuss innovative solutions on how to optimize labor and drive worksite efficiencies. Content will include education on better utilize your existing tools and introduce you to what’s new across the market.