Southern exposure: The National Demolition Association takes advantage of Southern charm by bringing its 33rd annual convention to Nashville, Tenn.The National Demolition Association is opting for a little southern hospitality this year at its 33rd annual convention. The county music capital of the world, Nashville, Tenn., will host the event for the first time in its history March 26-29 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. After years of alternating between more traditional trade show host cities like Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. and Orlando, the National Demolition Association (formerly the National Association of Demolition Contractors) decided it was time to try something new, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Mike Taylor, the association's general director. And the association has tried to make the most of its new location. "We thought, if we're going to do all this, why don't we try to change the format to fit the locale?" Taylor says. The convention has been organized with the usual demolition programming, but this time, with a distinctly country feel. GETTING WITH THE PROGRAM Like in years past, attendees of the National Demolition Association's convention will be able to attend a number of educational sessions addressing a variety of current issues facing the demolition industry. Robert Colangelo and Sven Erik Kaiser from the National Brownfields Association will give a presentation on the state of the brownfields market and discuss what opportunities that market presents to demolition contractors. Attendees will also have the opportunity to sit in on several breakout sessions. Topics include the role of demolition contractors in LEED projects (the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. green building rating system), proper pre-planning documentation and working with a Hispanic workforce. A session about the demolition of the stage of La Scala La Scala Opera house in Milan, Italy. Built in 1776 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (which country then ruled Milan), it replaced an earlier theatre that had burned. Opera House in Milan, Italy, is also scheduled. Stefano Panseri and Lucio Garofalo from the European Demolition Association will give a presentation about the opera house demolition and restoration project. The keynote address keynote address n. An opening address, as at a political convention, that outlines the issues to be considered. Also called keynote speech. Noun 1. scheduled for Monday, March 27, will appeal to industry and non-industry attendees as well, Taylor says. Jean Chatzky, financial editor for NBC's Taday Show and CNBC's Talking Money with Jean Chatzky, will speak about personal finance. Chatzky is also a columnist for Money, Time and USA Weekend USA WEEKEND Magazine is a national publication distributed through more than 600 newspapers in the United States. It reaches 49 million [1] readers in 23 million households [2] every weekend. . In addition to the speakers and educational programming, the convention will also feature an 85,000-square-foot exhibit hall for companies to show their latest equipment and service offerings. Taylor says he expects the hall to sell out this year, in part because of a push in the industry during the hurricane cleanups in the Gulf Coast region. "People are especially interested in the newest equipment available to them," Taylor says. "They know there is going to be a substantial market for these products." The exhibit hall will open at noon on Sunday, March 26. SEEING THE SIGHTS The Gaylord Opryland facility itself just underwent an $80-million renovation on the property and also sports a brand-new 8,000-square-foot spa. The facility is among the largest non-gaming resorts in the world, with acres of indoor atriums filled with gardens, waterfalls, shops and restaurants. Taylor says the association wanted to take full advantage of the unique, central location when planning the events around the convention. For instance, the traditional Sunday night Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists. cocktail reception will go on with an antebellum twist as a cruise on the Cumberland River Cumberland River River, Kentucky and Tennessee, U.S. It rises in southeastern Kentucky and flows west, looping through northern Tennessee before returning north to join the Ohio River after a course of 687 mi (1,106 km). aboard the General Jackson There have been multiple generals named Jackson.
steamboat or steamship Watercraft propelled by steam; more narrowly, a shallow-draft paddle-wheel steamboat widely used on rivers in the 19th century, particularly the Mississippi River and its tributaries. . "We usually have it in one of the halls," says Taylor. "But we really want to take advantage of the setting." Taylor says that this year's convention has been designed to offer attendees a strong educational experience in regards to the issues facing the demolition industry, as well as the best of Nashville's culture. "We know this isn't the sunshine venue we're used to," he says. "It's a change, but we think it's an exciting change." More information about the convention is available at www.demolitionassociation.com. A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY The Music City offers a number of attractions to keep attendees occupied in the hours outside the convention hall. For networking opportunities outside the convention hall itself, the downtown area alone offers more than 40 different restaurants covering a variety of cuisines and price ranges. Attendees wishing to spend their down time in a non-industry related activity have a host of attractions to choose from. Nashville sports a number of historic homes and museums. Antebellum America is on display at the Belle Meade Plantation Belle Meade Plantation, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is an historic plantation mansion and its grounds that today function as a museum. In 1807, Virginian John Harding bought Dunham's Station log cabin and 250 acres on the Natchez Trace. , a Greek Revival Greek revival: see classic revival. Greek Revival Architectural style based on 5th-century-BC Greek temples that spread throughout Europe and the U.S. in the early 19th century. mansion built in 1853. Tours run Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The musically minded can visit the Grand Ole Opry Grand Ole Opry, weekly American radio program featuring live country and western music. The nation's oldest continuous radio show, it was first broadcast in 1925 on Nashville's WSM as an amateur showcase. Museum or attend a broadcast of the show from the Opry itself on Friday, Saturday or Tuesday evenings. Also not to be missed is the full-scale reproduction of the Greek Parthenon, which stands in Nashville's Centennial Park Centennial Park can mean:
More information about Nashville attractions is available from the Nashville Convention Visitor's Bureau at www.musiccityusa.com. The author is associate editor of Construction& Demolition Recycling and can be reached by e-mail at jgubeno@gie.net. |
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