Held in conjunction with the annual convention of the Construction Specifiers Institute (CSI), CONSTRUCT begins on Wednesday, September 13, at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and runs through Friday, September 15.
It is the only national trade show and educational conference designed specifically for the commercial building teams that spec and source building products. About 2,300 people are expected to attend this year.
New Mobile App
This year’s conference includes a new mobile app available for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Sponsored by Firestone Building Products, the app offers a variety of features, including registration. The app allows users to virtually navigate the exposition floor, access exhibitor lists and profiles, and see interactive show and conference floor plans, the conference schedule, session details, and speaker profiles.
Session attendees will have access to post-session evaluations and the ability to download handouts via the app, which also has a personalized planner to help organize CONSTRUCT schedules. The app can be downloaded by searching for “CONSTRUCT Event” in the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Conference Education Program
The education component includes tracks designed for architects/designers, building owners/managers, contractors, engineers, interior designers, manufacturer and product representatives, project managers, specifiers, and students/young professionals at all professional levels, ranging from industry newcomers to those with more than 30 years of experience. The program was created with the support of an industry peer group, which reviewed hundreds of presentation submissions.
With more than 40 sessions each spanning 60, 75, or 90 minutes, the program is taught by experts and offers certifications in the form of learning units (LUs) from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI) credits for LEED professionals, general professional development hours (PDHs), and more. Technical tours are another option, with participants earning continuing education units (CEUs).
For coatings contractors, events of potential interest may include Wednesday sessions on avoiding waterproofing failures (2:40 p.m. local time), what to know before and after roofing installations (2:40 p.m.), new issues regarding fire protection for steel structures (4:00 p.m.), and how contractors can use specifications to bridge the gap between design and construction (2:40 p.m.). A separate session on Thursday regarding understanding and ending moisture-related flooring problems (7:45 a.m.) could also be of note. The full session schedule can be read here.
The conference’s keynote address will be presented Thursday at 9:30 a.m. by Thom Mayne, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect and founding principal at the interdisciplinary architectural firm Morphosis. He will present “Multiple Agendas,” a practical presentation including a look at fabrication and technical design practices, project cost management, product development, and sustainable building practices.
The education program separately includes a learning lounge and learning pavilion, where show attendees can take quick-paced, 30- and 60-minute accredited learning courses on the show floor. One particularly relevant session for contractors occurs Thursday at 11:15 a.m., when attendees can learn how new product declarations and emissions rules from the latest U.S. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 program may impact the paints and coatings industry. The event is sponsored by Sherwin-Williams. Meanwhile, a separate Friday session at 11:15 a.m. will explore advanced coatings available for healthcare facilities.
Exposition and Events
In addition to education, CONSTRUCT presents delegates with opportunities to visit hundreds of exhibitors and manufacturers offering products and services to meet the needs of the commercial building industry to design, build, renovate, and operate.
The exhibition is designed to be an intimate show, allowing more than 200 select exhibitors to more personally engage with conference attendees across ~28,000 sq. ft. (2,601 m2) of space. The exhibit hall will be open on Thursday and Friday.
Exhibitors that coatings applicators may be interested in seeing include:
· BEHR and KILZ Paints & Primers, A Massco Company, booth 927
· Benjamin Moore Paints, booth 737
· Carlisle Construction Materials, booth 704
· CertainTeed Roofing, booth 419
· CoatingsPro Magazine, booth 319
· Dow Building Solutions, booth 410
· DuPont, booth 505
· ECHOtape, booth 1107
· Firestone Building Products, booth 604
· GAF, booth 802
· Hilti, booth 519
· International Cellulose Corp., booth 837
· Intertek, booth 318
· Key Resin Co. , booth 1017
· Momentive Performance Materials, Inc., booth 935
· Multiquip Inc, booth 1211
· O'Keeffe's Aluminum Ladders, booth 1116
· Pecora Corp., booth 321
· PPG Industries, Inc., booth 1003
· Pratt & Lambert Paints, booth 408
· Rust-Oleum Corporation, booth 640
· Sherwin Williams, booth 1011
· Tnemec Company, Inc., booth 903
· Tremco Commercial Sealants & Waterproofing, booth 1234
· Viper II Vapor Barriers, booth 1315
· W.R. Meadows, Inc., booth 502
· Wooster Products Inc, booth 413
The complete list of exhibitors can be accessed here.
CONSTRUCT will also incorporate a networking lunch and happy hours on the show floor, thus giving attendees more opportunities to network with others in the industry.
For more information, contact: CONSTRUCT, (972) 536-6450, www.constructshow.com