Why You Should Attend Congress

Be a Public Works Patriot! Join Us in Boston!

Larry T. Koehle, P.Eng., MPA, APWA President

Beginning on Sunday, August 15, and going through the closing banquet on Wednesday, August 18, up to 8,000 attendees from all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces, and several other countries will converge on historic Boston, Mass., for the APWA International Public Works Congress & Exposition.

For the first time, we will be co-located with the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) WASTECON. As a result, the exposition will consist of an estimated 600 exhibitors covering125,000 square feet of combined exhibit floor space so you can see the latest and greatest in public works and solid waste equipment and products. These exhibitors have real solutions to your everyday challenges and are ready and willing to demonstrate their solutions to you.

In addition to the exposition, there will be more than 200 technical and professional development sessions presented by your colleagues and industry vendors. This is a great way to learn from those who are “in the know.” You can also earn CEUs and PDHs that will add value to the information you learn and help keep you current in your professional development.

If you are considering attending Congress for the first time, you will want the answers to a couple of questions:
Q: Are there technical and professional development sessions relevant to my job in public works?
A: Yes! There are sessions that cover career and professional development, construction management, emergency management, engineering and technology, facilities, fleet services, sustainability, leadership and management, parks and grounds, solid waste, snow and ice, stormwater, and streets/roads and bridges.

Q: Who should attend Congress?
A: Anyone whose responsibilities are public works related. You will see public works directors, superintendents, managers, operations managers and operations personnel, consulting engineers, city and county engineers, construction directors and managers, solid waste managers, public facilities and grounds directors, utility workers and managers including water, sewer, stormwater and flood control, streets/roads/bridge managers, transportation directors, emergency management personnel, city planners, and sustainability specialists.

Now that you’ve figured out that Congress is for YOU, how do you justify the dollars necessary to those who are paying your way? Let’s use the word CONGRESS to explain:

C – Camaraderie is defined as “a spirit of friendly good-fellowship.” When you attend Congress, everyone there has experiences that you can relate to. Many have walked in your shoes and sharing those experiences can reinforce, reassure and recharge you.

O – Opportunity: The opportunities you have at Congress are only limited by your own imagination. You have the opportunity to examine the latest technologies, learn about cutting-edge issues, and share those experiences with thousands of professionals like you.

N – Networking is defined as “a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.” One of the greatest benefits of Congress is developing contacts with your counterparts, other public works leaders, vendors and exhibitors. It is almost as if you have a cadre of advisors available to you 24/7. I realized many years ago that I don’t have all the answers, but there are those who do. Many of them are in my network, my public works support system, and Congress planted those seeds of long-lasting professional relationships and friendships.

G – Growth in the professional sense is something we must continue to pursue, or we will be left behind. John Maxwell, American author and motivational speaker, says, “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.” Congress sessions and speakers will challenge you professionally and help you discover things that may lead to breakthroughs in your organization. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

R – R&D: What do I mean by that? No, it is not research and development. In the public works world, it means “Rip-off & Duplicate.” I can guarantee that by attending technical sessions and/or the exposition you will find some process, procedure, leadership lesson, or method that has a direct application to some aspect of your operation. The best part is that someone else has already developed it, tried it, tweaked it, and established lessons learned so you can try it yourself without reinventing the wheel.

E – Exposition: One of the highlights of Congress every year is the exposition. This year it will be even bigger and better as we are co-located with SWANA. The exhibit floor will be the largest in recent memory. The hundreds of exhibitors will be there to demonstrate their latest products, and the exhibitor “showcase” 45-minute presentations will present unique learning opportunities designed just for you. Not only will you see the latest in equipment and products, you will find real solutions to the problems and challenges you deal with every day. There will be non-compete time scheduled so you can spend time exclusively on the exhibit floor and not have to worry about missing an education session.

S – Special Events: There are a number of special events that are part of the Congress agenda: Self Assessment Workshop, First-Timers Meeting, Get Acquainted Party, Progressive Women in Public Works Breakfast and Reception, Young Professionals Networking Reception, Canadian Public Works Association Luncheon, Public Works Historical Society Luncheon, Awards Recognition Ceremony & Reception, Diversity Brunch, APWA Blood Drive, Golf Tournament, and the Congress Reception & Banquet. There are other workshops scheduled for Wednesday afternoon to see firsthand Boston’s historic and impressive public works operations and facilities including:

MADOT Control Center and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Operations Centers
Historic Charles River Dam and Locks
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant
Harvard University Facilities
Patriot Place and Gillette Stadium Complex

S – Service: APWA provides opportunities for service at both the national and chapter levels. At Congress, Technical Committees participate in technical sessions and meet to discuss their plans and opportunities for the upcoming year. Attending Congress will give you opportunities to meet those in positions of leadership and will help you decide how you can best serve your profession at the organizational, chapter and/or national levels.

Once you attend Congress, you will understand what a great experience it will be for you. Whether you focus on networking, technical sessions, the exposition, special events, or all of the above, you will take something home that you can share and apply in your organization. The cost of admission can pay for itself many times over.

Boston played an important part in the early “revolutionary” history of the United States. You can be part of “revolutionizing public works” by being a Public Works Patriot and attending the Best Show in Public Works. See you in Boston!