What’s the best place to make new friends and learn how the asphalt industry is advancing?
Industry conferences! Every year, they provide an opportunity for asphalt professionals to share ideas, thoughts on what has happened throughout the year, and what's coming up in the future.
Our favorite things about conferences
Maurice and Anthony have been attending conferences for quite a while, and over the years, they’ve come to learn what they enjoy most about them.
For Maurice, it’s not just about attending conferences; it’s also about learning more about what's on the horizon for the asphalt industry. This could be lessons learned from the previous year, or even new advancements being developed. There are a lot of great researchers out there who present their research and findings at conferences, and they're very approachable.
For Anthony, it’s all about the social aspect. He loves meet and greets and talking to new people. Conferences are a great way to meet other professionals in the industry. There's a lot of bonds made at conferences. Anthony has friends from when he first started attending industry conferences that he still sees to this day.
Speaking of meeting people, Anthony has a favorite line he likes to pull out at conferences to break the ice:
“How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice! I'm Anthony.”
He can’t take credit for originality, though, as he pulled it straight out of a movie.
Conference Takeaways
The main takeaways from industry conferences are learning more about BMD, especially how each state is dealing with it and handling the initiative.
If you're new to the industry, definitely take part in conferences. There are both regional conferences and national conferences. One of our favorites is the Transportation Research Board (TRB). It's more heavy on the research side, but you get to see all the latest technology, what's going on in the industry, and where the industry is headed. We also made an episode on The Hot Mix Podcast about our most recent trip to TRB!
Another big one we regularly attend is World of Asphalt. It’s great for learning new trends in the industry and meeting fellow asphalt professionals.
Get involved and start attending asphalt industry conferences! You’ll learn a lot about the industry and meet great people.
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