Trenchless Industry Gathers at NASTT’s 2018 No-Dig Show: Day One Recap
The future is so bright with trenchless. Find out more this week at NASTT’s 2018 No-Dig Show. Visit with our team – Andrew Farr, Dan Sisko, Sharon M. Bueno and Jim Rush – at Booth 118.
NASTT’s 2018 No-Dig Show in Palm Springs, California, had a fantastic first day with attendance unofficially surging toward the 2,000-attendee mark. The day featured the Opening Breakfast, technical sessions and exhibit hall. The day concluded with the annual Educational Auction and costume contest.
The five-day show — the largest trenchless-only trade show in the world — is hosted by NASTT at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
Day 2 is under way.
Though there were pre-conference educational sessions on Sunday, March 25, the first official event was the annual Kickoff Breakfast, which gives the Trenchless Technology team the opportunity to formally recognize and present our Projects of the Year Awards for New Installation and Rehabilitation, as well as our Person of the Year Award.
Derreck Kayongo was the feature speaker at the No-Dig Show Kickoff Breakfast
The unofficial kick off to the No-Dig Show, the Breakfast was opened by NASTT Chairman Frank Firsching and Program Committee Chair Don Del Nero. Motivational speaker Derreck Kayongo was the feature speaker. He spoke of his upbringing in Uganda and how that impacted him into creating the Global Soap Project after he immigrated to the United States in the late 1970s.
Trenchless Technology publisher Bernie Krzys (left) and Larry Kiest, Jr., president LMK Technologies (right) with 2018 Trenchless Technology Person of the Year Bill Shook and his wife Miriam.
Trenchless Technology publisher Bernie Krzys formally presented the 2018 Trenchless Technology Person of the Year award to its recipient AP/M Permaform founder Bill Shook — an industry professional who has dedicated his 40-plus year career to the trenchless rehabilitation industry. Krzys was joined on stage by LMK Technologies’ Larry Kiest, a close personal and industry friend of Shook.
Trenchless Technology editors Sharon M. Bueno and Jim Rush present Andrew Costa, Insituform, with the 2017 Rehabilitation Project of the Year Award for the West Palm Beach Force Main Rehabilitation project.
Trenchless Technology editors Jim Rush and Sharon M. Bueno presented the winners of the 2017 Trenchless Technology Projects of the Year for New Installation and Rehabilitation.
Trenchless Technology editors Sharon M. Bueno and Jim Rush present John Grennan, Ward and Burke, and Paul Headland, Aldea Services, with the 2017 New Installation Project of the Year Award for the Rebecca Trunk Wastewater Main project.
The technical sessions feature 167 peer-reviewed technical papers and returning this year are special roundtables covering a variety of trenchless topics. First up Monday was a roundtable on Water Main CIPP. They continue today with Owner Differing Site Conditions Claims and on Wednesday with Close Fit Sliplining Technologies.
The day’s events concluded with NASTT’s 17th annual Educational Fund Auction & Reception. The fundraising soirée — benefiting NASTT’s educational initiatives — is a themed event. For 2018, the theme was the “Get Retro.” It’s a fitting theme since Palm Springs was where the Rat Pack used to play and stay.
As always, attendees were encouraged to dress accordingly – in a 1950s themed. Marilyn Monroe was seen walking around, as was Ricky and Lucy Ricardo from I Love Lucy, as well as Grease’s Pink Ladies. As always, the event featured a costume contest, the tropical vacation raffle and 50/50 raffles. Winners of the costume competition were George Ragula and Louisiana Tech University student Tristan Morgan.
BT Construction was the winning bidder for Mortimer the Sewer Rat. In picture is Chris Knott (front) and Buck and Marilee Bergstrom.
George Ragula was one of the winners of the annual NASTT Annual Educational Fund Auction & Reception costume contest.
Stay abreast of NASTT’s 2018 No-Dig Show by following @TrenchlessTech, @WFM_Journal and @NoDigShow on Twitter. Or you can download the official (and free) No-Dig mobile app on either your iPhone or Android phone.
