It is that time of the (even) year — it is time for the 2016 ASPE Conference and Expo.
As you may have noticed this month, pme has put on a full-court press of ASPE coverage. With the industry descending upon the Phoenix Convention Center Oct. 28-Nov. 2, it is the ideal time to put a spotlight on as much of the ASPE organization as possible.
For more information on what to expect at the 2016 ASPE Conference and Expo make sure to check out page 34 of this issue. You should also check out our extensive profile of the ASPE Young Professionals special-interest group flip to page 30.
I am excited to get out to Phoenix and check out all the convention is offering this year. The 2014 ASPE Expo was my first go-round and I thought the show was excellent. I was able to check out five or six technical sessions and a host of speeches. In 2016, the ASPE Expo offers 25 technical sessions, all of which earn attendees CEU credits.
As you’ll see when you read the feature on the AYP, in recent years ASPE has made a concentrated effort to better-engage certain sectors of its membership. Four years ago it was the under-35 market and this year it is the women of ASPE.
The Women of ASPE special-interest group will host its own all-day Leadership Forum Oct. 28. ASPE’s Executive Director and CEO Billy Smith says the group’s increase in membership has allowed for a better focus across the board.
“We’ve seen a fantastic surge in our membership growth over the last 18 months and we feel it’s come about due to our focus on expanding our reach to all industry groups,” he says. “We’ve seen the interest from our AYP group and felt it would be important to narrow that focus even more and broaden our efforts in reaching out to women in our industry. We began to encourage these efforts and establish guidelines for our chapters’ outreach by beginning at the Society level and making a stand.”
He adds: “This exclusive event will bring together women in the field of plumbing design where they will have the opportunity to network with their peers, learn about personal branding and how to apply it toward their professional growth, leadership and professional development.”
More to offer
In September, pme launched its maiden podcast, which is available on our website in audio form and as a video. Our first guest is Eric Knauth, P.E., pme’s 2016 Plumbing Engineer of the Year. In the podcast, Knauth discusses the need for more plumbing engineering courses at the university level, his career development and more.
Look for an on-the-floor podcast from the ASPE Conference and Expo with interviews from engineers, manufacturers and more. Getting the pme podcast off the ground is something I am really proud and excited about. Giving all our readers more options to gather information on the industry and its members is the way the world is heading.
And pme is happy to provide.
This article was originally titled “The main event” in the October 2016 print edition of PM Engineer.
