5th Annual Northeast Hardscape Expo Hits Hartford Mid-March

Don’t be alarmed if you hear the pounding of compactors, scraping of screed boards and the whirring of cut-off saws coming from the Connecticut Convention Center on Wednesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 17. It’s not a major remodeling, but rather, the 5th Annual Northeast Hardscape Expo. The premiere, regional trade event, which attracts thousands of attendees working within the hard surface construction and landscaping industries, is set to deliver a power-packed agenda consisting of educational sessions, an installer competition, a flying drone zone area and hundreds of exhibitors – all inside the building.

“We cannot express how grateful we are for the support of the City of Hartford for allowing us to plan and execute an event of this magnitude completely indoors,” said Larry Nicolai, Chairman of the Board of New England Concrete Manufacturers Association. “We know that all participants will be amazed at the amount of engaging activities we have lined up for this two-day bonanza.”

Specific classes led by various industry sector experts include such topics as theory of base installation, raised patio techniques, successful landscape design elements, incorporating drone technology to increase company ROI, new OSHA standards for construction, Quickbooks for contractors and producing plant containers for exceptional impact, among others.

As in past Hardscape Expos, the popular installer competition will offer an exciting ‘event within an event’ as 16 teams race against the clock to create a hardscape installation that exhibits the highest safety, quality and craftsmanship standards. Through a series of preliminary and championship rounds, the winning team will be awarded $10,000 and represent the Northeast at Hardscape North America’s “National Installer Competition”.

“The competition tests and recognizes the skill, dedication and passion of hardscape contractors from the New England states as well as New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and always draws a hollering crowd,” adds Brian Scanlon, Executive Director of NECMA.

New to this year’s event is an enmeshed Drone Zone hosted by Hartford-based Aquiline Drones in which attendees can experience the ease of flying commercial drones and how UAV technology can help streamline and improve company profits. Aquiline Drones will also be exhibiting a variety of its commercial drone models including the Spartacus Max and Spartacus Hurricane to help participants select the most appropriate technology for their particular business activities.

Other live demonstrations will include:

• RGBW lighting installations
• Advanced water management applications for decks, pools, surrounds and entryways
• New edge restraint technologies for paving products
• Stone veneer installations
• Battery-powered compaction equipment for landscape applications
• Wet-Lok jointing sand

Additionally, the New England Concrete Manufacturers Association is hosting a “Connecticut Career Day”, a comprehensive two-day educational and career opportunity experience, intended to capture the attention and imagination of Connecticut vocational technical students and their parents by connecting them to industry leaders and owners of companies doing business in the hardscape and masonry industry. The program is appropriate for undergraduates as they climb the ladder of learning by honing their skills and expanding their knowledge.

“Our massive show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and extensive contributions of our affiliated associations,” said Bob Yoffe of Yoffe Exposition Services, the Show’s Producer.

He notes that current sponsors include Ballard Truck Center, Isuzu Truck, Colmet, Superior Products Distributors, Inc, Pine Hall Brick, Bobcat of Connecticut, Votorantim Cementos, St. Marys Cement, and Lehigh Heidelberg Cement Group.

The Show is endorsed by North America’s leading trade Associations Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and the National Concrete Masonry Association, as well as Regional, State and local Trade Associations that includes Associated Builders and Contractors of Connecticut, Association of Professional Landscape Designers, Boston Society of Landscape Architects, Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston, Cape Cod Landscape Association, CT Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects, CT Grounds Keepers Association, CT Nursery & Landscape Association, Home Builders & Remodelers of Central Mass, International Masonry Institute- New England, International Masonry Institute- RI/CT, Mass Trowel Trades Association, Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association, New Hampshire Landscape Association, Northeast Builders & Remodelers Association of MA. New York State Concrete Masonry Association, RI Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association.

Entry is open to members of the hardscape, landscape and masonry industry only. Registration to the event is $10 in advance and $25 at the doors and can be purchased at: Northeast Hardscape Expo Registration: Contact Information (showproevent.com). Visit www.nehexpo.com for more information.