National Electric Contractors Association (NECA)

The industry-leading trade associations will join forces for the technology-focused conference in January

The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the National Electric Contractors Association (NECA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) announced a joint partnership for the second consecutive year leading the annual MEP Innovation Conference, which now has open registration for the in-person January 2022 session.

A three-day event known as the best technology conference for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, service and sheet metal contractors and their staffs, the MEP Innovation Conference provides educational sessions at all levels of experience, and opportunities to learn about the latest industry innovations in software, tools, and technologies. As part of the joint partnership, conference attendance is open to all members of MCAA, NECA and SMACNA and their union counterparts for the second consecutive year.

“Both NECA and SMACNA were great partners at the last MEP Innovation Conference this past April,” said Armand Kilijian, MCAA President. “They both provided ample content to expand our sessions, broadened attendance with many members participating across the different trades and immensely helped with making the switch to a virtual setting for the first time in seven years. We’re thrilled at the long-term partnership planned for this event based on the success of last year’s conference.”

Sessions at this year’s conference will be led by contractors from all three trade associations and include roundtable discussions, exhibitor demonstrations, breakout sessions and presentations. Sessions will be geared towards operation, VDC, project management, IT, and estimating.

“The construction trades are more interconnected than ever. Owner needs for shorter construction timelines have driven the development of new technologies and improved communication and coordination between construction team members. The more information and awareness our respective members can gather about construction technology and the processes of other MEP contractors, the better the stronger the partnerships become in the shop and on the jobsite.” said Vince Sandusky, CEO of SMACNA. “This conference offers a holistic view of the trends and innovative solutions appearing on the horizon.”

MCAA first launched this conference for its association members back in 2016 as a way to share knowledge and spark ideas and innovation through collaboration, demonstration and peer-to-peer instruction. The event has continued to grow year after year with over 1,350 virtual attendees in 2021.

“We’re excited to join forces with MCAA and SMACNA for this year’s conference and to give our members the opportunity to attend and network with a variety of other innovative, forward-thinking contractors,” said David Long, NECA CEO. “This event marks an ideal setting to learn about how new tools and technologies are impacting operations across the board for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing industries. We believe it is imperative to collaborate with likeminded leaders from across the world of construction.”

The MEP Innovation Conference will be held in-person in Tampa, Florida from January 24-26, 2022.