Historically, Phoenix brings the best out of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers biannual Convention and Expo.

ASPE’s Executive Director and CEO Billy Smith notes the 1996 expo in Phoenix was the best-attended show until the 2014 event in Chicago. Thus, Smith is excited to cut the ribbon on the 2016 ASPE Conference and Expo Oct. 28-Nov. 2 at the Phoenix Convention Center.

“I’m sure we will break the Chicago record this year based on the exciting special event s we are planning,” he said.

Those events include:

  • Friday, Oct. 28: Pre-convention golf outing at The Raven Golf Club;

  • Sunday, Oct. 30: A Sunday night at the Corona Ranch & Rodeo Grounds;

  • Monday, Oct. 31: ASPE Young Professionals networking event; and

  • Tuesday, Nov. 1: ASPE’s banquet.

ASPE has scheduled 25 technical sessions for attendees to take in during the event. Session topics range from natural gas, domestic hot water sizing, biocontainment plumbing design, LEED v4, code changes on pressure-booster sizing and more.

“Attendees’ focus should be to attend as many of our technical sessions as they can,” Smith says. “So much material is being presented. You can power up your knowledge by attending.”

Another new event at the convention will be the Women of ASPE Leadership Forum. The Oct. 28 meet-up is the first WOA event that will provide women in the industry a chance to network with peers, learn about personal branding and how to further their professional growth.

Smith says after the success of the APSE Young Professionals group, the organization began encouraging more efforts in creating groups for members. The WOA followed suit and has quickly made an impact within ASPE.

“We’ve put together a WOA committee with a staff liaison that generates our game plan,” he explains. “We’ve started sharing those initiatives with our chapters and it has really taken off.”

 

Enthusiasm aplenty

Exhibitors that have reserved space at the Phoenix Convention Center are excited to showcase their latest product lines and technologies to ASPE members. Watts Water Technologies and its brands – such as Powers, Ames Fire & Waterworks, BLUCHER, Orion and Brae – will have products on display that cover nearly all commercial applications.

Also, Watts will host educational sessions where engineers, certified plumbing designers and others can receive CEU credits. Experts from Powers on Nov. 1 will run the “How Digital Water Mixing Technology Promotes Efficiency and Safety” session.

“The session talks about the benefits of automated water-mixing systems for health-care, hospitality, educational, correctional, office and other commercial and institutional facilities,” Watts Content Marketing Specialist Ann Hewitt says.

Gerber Plumbing Fixtures’ new ICU sink will be a highlight of the Illinois-based manufacturer’s booth at the expo. The ICU is specifically designed for medical and health-care facilities and reduces the risk of infection by removing overflow channel, while minimizing splash with an offset drain.

Flexhead Industries – manufacturer of flexible sprinkler pipe solutions – will focus on its commercial fire-sprinkler products for suspended-ceiling applications.

Bradford White will showcase a litany of its commercial and residential water heating and storage needs products at the show. The company is ready to answer questions engineers may have during the event.

“We are focused on supporting the wide variety of commercial needs that exist across our current and future customers,” Director of Marketing Carl Pinto says.

Moen will focus its message at the ASPE Expo on water quality and conservation for commerical and residential applications. The education market is a high priority at Moen, too. It’s line of M•Power sensor faucets has a modern style that will help students feel more at home on campus.

If an engineer is on the fence about attending or trying to get the approval from a higher-up to go, Smith implores them to think about all the benefits they can receive by booking travel to Phoenix.

“All attendees should know you cannot afford to miss the 2016 expo,” he says. “Having the opportunity to interact with your industry peers and to connect face-to-face with thousands of plumbing engineering design professionals, directly ask questions to session presenters and manufacturing experts is too good to pass up.”

 

This article was originally titled “Desert gold” in the October 2016 print edition of PM Engineer.