Educational seminars last 1.5 hours.
Educational workshops last 3 hours.

February 2, 2011
9:00 AM	W-1:Parking Lot Striping for Contractors Mick Vinckier Miktom Parking Lot Maintenance 3 Hour Workshop This popular three-hour session will teach you how to become a better striper if you're already in the business - and it will teach what you need to know to become a striper if you aren't one. Designed for the working level and intended as a classroom version of hands-on training, the course will take you through everything from equipment and materials to layout and material application, clean up, and disposal, including: Reading specs and plans Lot squaring Establishing angles You'll learn some real tricks of the trade, see some new ideas in tools that will improve the quality of your striping while improving your efficiency, and you'll leave with the sound understanding of parking lot layout and striping that contractors need to be successful. Heavy emphasis will be placed on what you need to know to set up and run a striping business and on the basics of laying out 90-degree and angle parking stalls. You'll take home recommendations that will make your job easier as well as tips that will help you improve your finished work. Videos of parking lot striping will be shown. A course for everyone - from crew members to foremen and owners - with a desire to work in or run a more profitable pavement marking business.
9:00 AM	W-2: How to Be an Effective Leader and Coach Brad Humphrey Pinnacle Development Group 3 Hour Workshop Find a great coach, and most likely you will find a great leader. Effective coaches are those who learn that their influence is based on their ability to gain the trust and respect of their team, even when the decisions are not always popular. But how is leadership different from management? What critical coaching skills do leaders use to motivate high performance? And "How I can use leadership and coaching skills to improve morale and performance in my own company?" You'll take home practical tools and techniques you can use immediately to position yourself as an effective coach and leader, including: How to instill ownership in your employees 3 crucial coaching skills How to build trust and credibility How leaders challenge without provoking How to build a top-performing team Why coaching is often harder than playing Plus you'll take home coaching skills that: Encourage, challenge, and promote growth Show you how to gain the respect and trust of others Show how to improve productivity and understanding in your company. Included in the session will be a self-assessment that provides a candid critique of key skills for future development and analysis. Who should attend? Any owner, foreman, or construction leader who supervises, directs, and develops other employees and who wants specific instruction on dealing with specific people.
9:00 AM	W-3: Applying "Best Practices" to Your Paving Operation John Ball Top Quality Paving 3 Hour Workshop A "best practices" program for successful paving contractors, their crews, and newcomers to the paving business, this session will take contractors step-by-step through the paving operation. You'll learn how to get the most out of your crew and your equipment and how to complete high-quality paving jobs as efficiently as possible. By relying on his "patented" video discussion, nationally known paving jobsite specialist John Ball explains and is then able to demonstrate through video the various paver operations, proper and improper techniques, best paving practices, problems and their solutions, as well as show tips and other insights into the paving process. You'll learn: Paving, rolling, and handwork basics Paver, tractor, and screed operations Proven rolling techniques State-of-the-art joint construction The impact of teamwork and communication on job quality And more! You'll take home information to make sure your paving operation is operating as efficiently as possible while producing high-quality finished hot mix asphalt pavement. You can rely on this workshop to help you get your paving operation running to its full potential.
9:00 AM	W-4: Street Fighter Marketing: Building Sales on a Shoestring Budget Jeff Slutsky Street Fighter Marketing 3 Hour Workshop There is an abundance of theories on how to market your contracting business but none of them offer the low-cost, grass roots approach that Street Fighter Marketing has used for years to help businesses succeed in their markets. Jeff Slutsky, author of numerous marketing and sales books, will give you the "street smarts" to succeed with cutting-edge marketing efforts. You'll learn "a bold new approach to build your business," including: The 3 keys to successful localized marketing Why most low cost, local marketing efforts fail How to preempt your competition The 3 benefits of simple consistency over time Then Jeff will introduce you to a variety of low-cost (or even FREE) local marketing efforts every contractor should take advantage of, then you'll take a close look at how your company can Profit from Non-Profits at No Risk to You, including: How to tie fund raising into bottom line profit How to leverage the effort for maximum PR How to dominate a charitable event for free How to identify the perfect opportunity, nearby Tips for not getting burned You'll also learn the impact of "Insider Marketing: Using the Street-Fighter Within" to Motivate employees to promote on their time Increase your average sale Get your customers to make referrals And a special emphasis will be made on Making More Money with "Street Smart" Mail, covering 5 ways to go from 3% to nearly 100% readership How to mail for less money What kind of message brings in business When mailing is a complete waste of money 3 ways to always get your mail opened Marketing drives your business by supporting your sales effort. This new session is a "must" for anyone involved in the planning, organizing, or executing a contractor's marketing program.
1:00 PM	A-1: Twitter, Facebook, and Blogging: How to Capitalize on Social Media Marketing Jeff Korhan True Nature We are living in a world where superior quality and value are expected -- the differentiating factor in this relationship-based economy is trust. In this era of new media and marketing every contractor needs to integrate social media marketing efforts such as Twitter, Facebook, and Blogs into their marketing efforts. You'll learn how this shift from mass marketing to relationship marketing and selling favors businesses that help communities do what they want to do. Plus you'll learn how social media marketing recognizes that markets are no longer about just selling to buyers, but collaborating with them to create better and more sustainable solutions. A great overview of why your company needs social media marketing.
1:00 PM	A-2: How Risk Reduction Can Lead to Lower Insurance Costs Thomas Zapalac NSM Insurance Group Insurance policies are risk transfer contracts, but insurance is only one part of risk management. In this session you'll learn steps you should take to better control your risks, reduce the overall cost of your insurance, and improve your bottom line. You'll learn about internal programs to reduce losses and keep premiums under control, and you'll see the impact housekeeping efforts, job site supervision, equipment maintenance, and more can have on your risk and costs. Plus, you'll learn what to do after a loss and how your company responds after a loss is as important as what you did before the loss occurred. Applying this information will help you control insurance costs and will position your company to take advantage of the most favorable insurance products and pricing in the market. Bring your questions!
1:00 PM	A-3: Power to Your People! Help Your Employees Do More for Your Company Gisell Chapman Chapman Business Solutions Have you ever wished your employees would do more? Do you know what's stopping them? In this seminar you will learn how to create a work environment where people are empowered, productive, contributing and happy. We'll give you the 10 principles of employee empowerment that you can start implementing today so you can lead your company to the productive, successful and happy business you envisioned. A session with great insights for owners and upper-level managers.
1:00 PM	A-4: Improve Your Asphalt Paver Operations Tom Skinner Skinner Consulting Services Proper operation of an asphalt paver is essential to the construction of a smooth asphalt pavement with a uniform surface texture. That operation begins with the unloading of the haul trucks and the amount of mix maintained in the paver hopper between truckloads of mix. It continues with the raising of the sides of the hopper and with the delivery of the mix from the hopper back to the augers. Factors that affect the angle of attack of the paver screed will be discussed, including paver speed, head of material, tow point elevation, and manual thickness controls. The use and misuse of extendable screeds will also be covered. Finally, the causes of common mat surface defects will be described and solutions provided. A "can't-miss" session for every paver!
1:00 PM	AC-1: New Concepts in Paving Technology Mean More Profit for You Shel Chesky BioSpan Technologies The asphalt paving industry is constantly developing new materials, improving existing product, and creating new practices that can help pavement last longer and help contractors do a better job more efficiently, and more profitably. Well, the future is here and in this new product-and-application-focused session you'll learn just what the industry is working on that you can put to work soon - or even right now! You'll learn about new concepts and up-to-date management practices for parking lot paving and project management, pavement restoration, pothole reduction, crack repair. Plus you'll learn what's just around the corner for asphalt and new asphalt binders. What you take home from this down-to-Earth session will help you get the job done and improve your bottom line profitability.
1:30 PM	W-5: Field “Execution” for Crew & Project Leaders Brad Humphrey Pinnacle Development Group 3 Hour Workshop With profit margins tighter than in past years and pavement maintenance contractors taking jobs at lower fees than ever, there is even less margin for error to get it done right the first time in the field. This workshop is all about preparing, planning, and executing the right way the first time. In more than 20 years of working with thousands of construction leaders Brad has witnessed both the good and bad of field execution. You'll learn: Developing your field vision for every project Casting your project vision for your crews Planning: The "pre-mid-post" efforts One, two, & four-week "look aheads": Who should use which and why? Conducting crew & project team "huddles" Pre-construction planning: The who, what, when, where, & why How to build coordination between crews, clients, & vendors Five techniques to put 3%-5% back on to your gross profit! Come and let Brad share with you the winning techniques and proven leadership needed to execute better quality in decision-making, crew coordination, and performance. A perfect session for anyone involved in job planning and management from foremen and crew leaders to project managers and owners.
3:00 PM	A-5: Street Fighter Selling Tactics: Simple Selling Approaches to Easily Close More Sales Jeff Slutsky Stree Fighter Marketing This new session takes a grass-roots approach making sales as simple - and as successful - as possible. You'll learn why identifying potential clients is the first step in successful sales, how to identify the profitable clients, the 10 steps for determining just how profitable a client will be, the 3 steps for determining the long-term value of a client - and the 17 red flags to watch out for in identifying a problem client. Next you'll work through that all-important first contact, including the importance of "fact gathering" and how to structure fact gathering for a no-fail return visit. Plus, take home tips on how to avoid fee shopping before it becomes an issue, how to deal with the "price" issue when it becomes a major objection, when to fight and when to flee, and more. For every salesperson - and every sales staff!
3:00 PM	A-6: Build Sales – and Your Business Legacy – By Writing a Blog Jeff Korhan True Nature Blogging is the most powerful marketing tool available to any business marketer today - without exception. It is the great equalizer because it amplifies what you do well, regardless of the size of your marketing budget. In this new 'how-to-blog' seminar you'll learn why blogs are influencing buyers, how a company blog will help bring business in to your company, and how to set up and run a blog successfully. You'll learn blogging basics as well as blogging "Dos and Don'ts." Plus, you'll learn how blogging helps you develop your business legacy, which increases the overall value of your business. Plus, you'll learn how to go beyond blogging to promote your legacy by developing a Web-based content management system.
3:00 PM	A-7: How Infrared, Recyclers & Hot Box Reclaimers Improve Repairs and Your Bottom Line Kurt Schwartz KM International Nowadays there's a lot more to pavement repair than cold mix and a shovel, and in this new session you'll learn how you can integrate three technologies - infrared repair, asphalt recycling, and hot box reclaimers - into your pavement repair and rehabilitation operations. You'll learn about the flexibility of infrared equipment, what you need to consider before adding a portable recycler to your fleet (and how that will benefit your business), and why hot box reclaimers are the most inexpensive piece of equipment you can't do without. Plus, job case scenarios will show you how quickly you can repay your investment in this equipment. You'll leave this session knowing how these technologies will help you improve your pavement repairs while making a significant impact on your bottom line.
3:00 PM	A-8: Taking Your Presentation Skills to the Next Level Giselle Chapman Chapman Business Solutions Getting the job in today's economic climate involves more than just sending in a bid, and this session (which received rave reviews last year) will help you improve your presentation skills with an eye toward enhancing your image and landing the contract. You'll learn the keys to creating and presenting a powerful story so your prospects and current customers will be sure to consider -- and hopefully act - on your information. You'll learn how your body speaks to listeners, how to engage the whole brain with image-based presentations, and how to create a strong opening and an effective close. Take home the tips you need to get your audience to take action!
3:00 PM	AC-2: Improve Your Paving by Improving Your Paving Crew Tom Skinner Skinner Consulting Services Your employees paving and compaction skills determine the success (and profitability) of each job. This new session, presented by a 40-year veteran of the paving industry, will introduce you to a jobsite method you can use to evaluate and improve the skills of each person on your paving crew. You'll learn how to use a jobsite visit and a simple 10-question review to determine an "expertise level" for each crew member, then you'll learn how to establish a program to address worker deficiencies. You'll take home tips to make sure procedures are understood, assign job responsibilities, set goals, measure results, and reward good performance. Don't miss this opportunity to improve job quality and efficiency by analyzing and improving the skill levels of your paving workforce.

* Schedule subject to change.