The 2011 National Pavement Expo (NPE) was held February 2 through 5 at the Nashville Convention Center.

More than 1,500 paving and pavement maintenance professionals from across the country made their way to the four-day event in downtown Nashville, Tenn.

More than 100 manufacturers used the NPE to unveil their newest product offerings and innovations, with many providing demonstrations of their product lines.

The event was packed with workshops, seminars, conferences and in-depth industry networking. Industry roundtables were extremely popular and provided opportunities for industry professionals to network and socialize while sharing challenges, solutions and real world experiences.

Seminar highlights included:

“Sealcoating: Regulatory Challenges and Industry Initiatives,” sponsored by the Pavement Coatings Technology Council.

Refined tar-based sealants are being scrutinized by local, state and federal governments because of a now-discredited theory that sealants are a major source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment. In this session, the Pavement Coatings Technology Council (PCTC) described industry initiatives focused on both understanding how sealants impact the environment and educating government officials and the public about those impacts.

“Twitter, Facebook, and Blogging,” presented by Jeff Korhan, True Nature

In this era of new media and marketing, every contractor needs to integrate social media marketing efforts such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs into their marketing efforts. During this session, attendees learned how to shift from mass marketing to relationship marketing. Also covered was how social media marketing recognizes that markets are no longer about just selling to buyers, but collaborating with them to create better and more sustainable solutions.

“Increasing Efficiency in the Field,” presented by Guy Gruenberg, Grow Consulting

In this session, which received a perfect rating in 2010, attendees learned tips and techniques to save money every time their crew heads into the field. Topics included how to do a better job tracking time, how to minimize equipment repairs, when it’s better to rent vs. buy, and how to develop measurable goals that can allow companies to offer incentives for improved field performance.

“The Profitmaker’s Toolchest,” presented by Kraig Kramers, CEO Tools/Corporate Partners and co-sponsored by NAPSA and Tymco

The author of “CEO Tools: The Nuts & Bolts of Business for Every Manager’s Success” provided more than 150 plug-and-play tools for rapid profit acceleration in business.

“From Field General to Business Manager: Steps Busy Owners Need to Take,” presented by Vinny Engongoro, Roccie’s Asphalt Paving

Attendees learned steps to take and systems to put in place to help them become an overall manager rather than a hands-on field general. Topics included understanding and using financials, the importance of job costing and job time tracking, tracking leads and marketing, managing a salesperson, activity replication and the importance of job descriptions. Attendees also learned how the major parts of their companies — administration, sales and marketing, and production — should interact.

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