Last year’s NECA Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn., marked the first time that NECA had brought the entire industry together since the COVID-19 pandemic began. While the association had put together some smaller in-person meetings before, this marked the moment we had fully committed to returning in-person, and the response was truly overwhelming.

Ever since, NECA has held regular meetings, conferences and events all over the country. These have included our Safety Summit in the fall, our joint MEP Innovation Conference in January and March’s Women in NECA and Future Leaders meeting, where I had the chance to speak with many people representing the future of our industry.

Outside of our national Convention, many of these meetings have not taken place since 2019. Time and time again, we find ourselves taking new opportunities to reunite, share our knowledge and continue to develop our relationships with people from around the industry.

This October, NECA will be coming together once again, looking to continue the enormous success seen at last year’s Convention and take it to the next level in Austin, Texas. I recently had the opportunity to visit and explore this city as part of NECA’s preparations to bring the industry’s premier event to the Lone Star State.

I have been to Austin many times, and I can tell you from experience that it will be a great host for our Convention. The live music, food and atmosphere will provide a wealth of entertainment for attendees, along with all the incredible things you will find at the Convention itself. As always, the trade show, education and speakers will be top-notch.

Having the opportunity to gather once again with our contractors, partners and entire industry has been a blessing, and these meetings and events are just a couple reasons why NECA excels. I hope to see you all at a NECA event this year, whether at our Convention in Austin or one of the many other events we will have along the way.