United to be virtual event

NAESA details pandemic plans; NEII elects board members, addresses post-lockdown reopening.

United to Be Virtual Only

The 2020 United Convention and Exposition, previously scheduled for Houston on September 13-16, will now be a virtual-only event sometime in September. Organizer National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) said it is working with vendors and technical experts “to create a robust industry event that is entirely provided through an online platform that meets the needs of the exhibitors and the attendees.” It will focus on the key objectives of providing compelling peer-to-peer interaction opportunities, offering innovative educational presentations and facilitating supplier and contractor connections with a virtual tradeshow floor.

NAESA Training Changes

NAESA International has canceled its in-person training, it said in May. Jack Day, its education director, “has been swamped working tirelessly to alter training materials to accommodate the webinar format, which is quite different from classroom training materials,” Executive Director Bob Shepherd wrote. The measures are scheduled to be in place at least until the end of August. NAESA will also reevaluate its training format by reviewing current federal, state and local orders on permitted meeting group sizes, considering any travel bans and the health and safety of attendees and instructors, by prioritizing value, risk and need.

“NAESA will be very conservative in our decisions as we evaluate the health risk of our instructors and attendees once the back-to-work orders for the country are given,” Shepherd added. “I am hoping to maintain training via webinars until all the dust settles and once there is no longer a hint of risk of the virus for the attendees and NAESA instructors.”

The organization urges members to visit its website (naesai. org) for webinars enabling certified inspectors to fulfill their required continuing-education units. They can also call or text 609-780-5551.

NEII Updates

The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) Board of Directors elected new board members and officers to serve for the next year. The 2020 directors include newcomers James Cramer, Otis Americas; Kevin Lavallee, thyssenkrupp; and Ken Schmid, KONE. Returning board members are Greg Ergenbright, Schindler; Sterrett Lloyd, Draka Elevator Products; Gary Krupp, Fujitec; and Erik Zommers, Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. The officers for 2020 are President Greg Ergenbright, Schindler; Vice President Erik Zommers, Mitsubishi Electric; Treasurer Jared Radabaugh, Draka; and Secretary Karen Penafiel, who also serves as NEII executive director.

In May, NEII announced that it is working with states, cities and provinces as they implement their plans to reopen their economies. Part of the effort is providing AHJs with best practices to resume halted elevator construction. It has also made recommendations for continuing inspections and maintenance after weeks of inactivity. The organization said it has also collaborated with industry real estate partners and is publishing guidelines for building owners to use to reopen their elevators, while keeping social distancing and sanitation in mind.