The national NECA Exhibition and Trade Show - NECA Boston 2010 - was held October 2 - 5 at the BCEC. The convention drew thousands of electrical construction industry professionals from throughout the U.S. gained a firsthand view of the latest advances in electrical products and technologies used to connect facilities and infrastructure with energy efficient power, lighting and integrated systems. More than 250 exhibitors comprised of many of the industry's leading manufacturers showcased products at the trade show. Educational programs covered diverse subjects -- from BIM to Energy Audits and from Power Quality to Building Automation. Technical workshops covered such topics as Design, Finance and Installation of Solar Electric Systems; Lighting Controls for Daylight Harvesting; Energy Saving Fluorescent Lighting Systems; PV Grid Tie Systems Design Principles; and Advanced Lighting Controls. As the hosting Chapter, NECA Greater Boston held an opening reception for electrical industry leaders from NECA and IBEW.
The event's keynote speakers were Dr. Robert Ballard, a deep sea explorer, best known for discovering the Titanic in 1985, and Michael Durant, author of Black Hawk Down and In the Company of Heroes. NECA president's Rex Ferry's message to the Association touched on the shifting construction industry marketplace and the evolving role electrical contractors have in energy efficiency. "I believe a better description for the work we do now is 'energy manager'," Ferry said. "We are integrating electrical systems to make buildings perform better and more efficiently than ever before. Because that's what our customers demand from us."