American Society of Plumbing Engineers Meets - And It’s Great to Be Back

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — It had been nearly four years since the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) Convention and Expo convened in person. And, it was great to be back. While the numbers weren’t out just yet, “the 2022 ASPE Convention & Expo in Indianapolis was one of the best shows in ASPE’s history—one of, if not the best attended from a numbers’ standpoint, and the interactions between exhibitors and attendees were outstanding from all accounts,” said Billy Smith, FASPE, Executive Director/CEO, ASPE.

“The overall feedback from our members, other attendees and our exhibitors has been extremely positive, and we couldn’t have asked for much more. Additionally, all of our social media platforms have provided glowing remarks, which is always a plus,” continued Smith.

After holding the 2021 Tech Symposium in San Diego, in person, ASPE officials saw the excitement of those in attendance. With that, officials wanted to make sure the Indy show was on point with all segments—education, networking, social events, and especially the Expo. “There is only so much you can do and gain from the continuous barrage of virtual meetings. There comes a point when you just hit a wall. Being able to provide this event in person was a way to knock down those walls and remove all boundaries that the pandemic had placed on our industry,” said Smith.

Kick-Off Celebration

Attendees at the Nibco Opening Party. From L to R: Brian Henry, ASPE, Billy Smith, ASPE, Aaron Kilburg, NIBCO, Inc.

The biennial convention customarily kicks off with a celebration for its members. This year, the Sunday night party, presented by NIBCO Inc., was special for all who attended. “NIBCO was proud to be the titled sponsor of this year’s Sunday Night Party. The turnout exceeded our expectations and it was great reconnecting with the engineering community in person since the last ASPE Convention and Expo was held in 2018," said Sally Boyer, Director, Marketing Communications for Nibco. "ASPE did an amazing job in providing a fun-filled evening of networking and entertainment."

According to Smith, the Sunday night party set the bar really high for the next Convention & Expo in Columbus, Ohio. “In fact, a member of the Columbus Convention Bureau was on hand to witness the party up close, so they are already looking for ways to take a step up in 2024,” said Smith.

Keynote

The keynote featured Chris Stricklin, a former Air Force fighter pilot and member of the thunderbirds air show team. Stricklin told the story of his Air Force career and then later Joining the Thunderbirds at a young age.

The copper-colored Nibco racecar has become a familiar site at recent industry events.

During an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, Chris was flying Thunderbird Six, a solo demonstration aircraft. At the beginning of the show, Stricklin was forced to perform an emergency ejection while performing a Split S maneuver, which he had performed successfully more than 200 times before. Chris banked the F-16 so it was heading away from the crowd of spectators and ejected when he was just 140 feet above the ground. The $20 million fighter jet impacted the surface 0.8 seconds later and was completely destroyed, and Chris’s life was forever changed.

“The tragic air show crash and his story of recovery and family culminated into a great and emotional story that brought feelings of anxiety, empathy, sorrow and patriotism,” said Ron George, CPD, President, Plumb-Tech Design & Consulting Services, LLC, and 43-year ASPE member.

After the multi-year, in-person hiatus from the brick-and-mortar expo, and virtual meetings, George was looking forward to seeing new product enhancements, networking with industry friends, receiving CEU credits and attending the educational programs.

Technical Sessions

“ASPE is the only Convention & Expo just for plumbing engineers. Attendees can choose from 30 education/technical sessions, which helps them maintain their credentials, and the varied topics we offer connect seamlessly with their daily jobs,” said Billy Smith.

Technical sessions dealt with legionella, hot water controls, carbon monoxide and plastic flue pipes, and catastrophes that can occur in plumbing systems from floods, hurricanes, chemical spills and other environmental disasters, among other topics.

“My favorite technical presentation was by Matt Freije, President, HC Information Resources Inc. Freije gave an excellent presentation on legionella and Legionnaires Disease, and how legionella can be controlled by facility owners establishing a water management team—then doing a proper assessment of the building water piping system to locate areas in the system that could be conducive to bacteria growth as part of an overall water management program,” said George.

On the Show Floor

Given the nature of the ASPE Convention & Expo, Viega USA highlighted its engineering services, as well as it's expanded product offering.

How good was the Expo floor? “Well, one exhibitor said that on Day 1, they never looked down to see what time it was until we made the announcement that the floor would close in 10 minutes. That is impressive,” said Smith.

Exhibitors were pleased with the show and attendance and it gave them a chance to show off products on the floor. “It’s great to be back into this post-COVID trade show in Indianapolis, where we showed off our new tankless models with built-in circulation,” said Brian Fenske, Director of Commercial Business, Navien.

Remember, the ASPE show is also a place where you can meet friends and other plumbing engineers who deal with similar projects. Having the opportunity to speak with all of the industry manufacturers, see the new and innovative products, and discuss your respective needs within the specification market— at one location—may be the most important component of the ASPE Convention & Expo. “No other industry show has all of this in one spot: networking, social events, educational classes, and the best exhibit floor just for the plumbing engineering industry,” said Smith.

Looking Forward

Time on the show floor means not just learning about the latest products, but networking with colleagues.

Considering how well the 2022 Convention & Expo was, ASPE officials are already planning for a great event for 2024 in Columbus. At each ASPE show, exhibitors pre-sign for the next event, and it looks like a record number of pre-show booths have signed on for 2024. “An important component of Columbus is that all of the hotels are close and connect to the Convention Center just like in Indy. Columbus also has an exciting downtown area with lots of new restaurants and shopping, all in walking distance from the hotels. We are very excited about what Columbus will offer in 2024,” said Smith.

Sidebar: Board of Directors

During the 2022 ASPE Business Meeting in Indianapolis on Sept. 18, Chapter Delegates representing society’s 6,500+ members elected their new Board of Directors for the 2022–2024 term. They are:

President: James T. Zebrowski, PE, CPD, FASPE
Vice President, Technical: W. Blair Minyard, PE, CPD, CDT
Vice President, Education: Bryan L. Hutton, CPD, MBA
Vice President, Legislative: Brianne N. Hall, PE, CPD, LEED AP BD+C, GGP
Vice President, Membership: Jason S.A. McDonald, CPD, FASPE
Vice President, Affiliate: Thomas P. Sharp
Treasurer: Vincent Falkowski, PE, PMP, CCM
Region 1 Director: Paul Freeman, PE, CPD
Region 2 Director: Steve J. Kormanik, CPD, GPD
Region 3 Director: Curtis A. Ray Jr., CPD, FASPE
Region 4 Director: Gwynne M. Morrison, CPD, GPD, LEED AP
Region 5 Director: Nicholas Hipp, CPD