Bill Turley, executive director of the Construction Demolition & Recycling Association (CDRA), caught up with Portable Plants to offer an exclusive preview of this month’s C&D World 2021 in Austin, Texas. The March 21-23 trade show will feature panel sessions, networking opportunities and a look at the latest technology and trends across the industry.
What’s new for C&D World 2021, and how will the event differ from the past?
This year we will offer a virtual option to attendees because some people are not yet ready to travel. Interestingly, we have had a surprisingly strong initial registration run for the meeting. We think that is because so many people want to get together and discuss industry issues in person rather than over Zoom or similar.
We also have had strong support from our vendors, with several taking both booths and sponsorships. We have slimmed down the program a bit to accommodate streaming, but have not cut back on the quality of the program.
What kind of health and safety guidelines can attendees expect in Austin?
We will be going beyond and above what the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) is requiring. The venue, the AT&T Center in Austin, Texas, has already held several successful and safe events in the past few months. It learned how to do these meetings safely. We will also hold as many events as possible outside.
Are there any particular speakers, sessions or events that attendees should keep an eye out for?
Our keynote speaker will be Jason Schenker, who was named the most accurate economic forecaster. He has spoken at a couple of other waste industry events and has been well received. He lives in the Austin area, so travel will not be a problem for him.
We will hold our usual end market panel, because places for our processed materials are probably the biggest challenge the industry faces.
We also have planned sessions on concrete recycling, shingle recycling and how to deal with the government. The tour this year will be at nearby Recon, which has both mixed C&D and concrete recycling at its site.
What is the goal of this year’s C&D World 2021? How will it help recyclers across the industry?
We have all been in lockdown and restricted access to each for many months. But that doesn’t stop the need to dispose of construction and demolition materials in an environmentally-friendly way, which is what our industry provides to society.
Of course this applies every year, but now more than ever C&D industry members need to get together and discuss ways to improve their operations and markets. As always, C&D World will be the best venue to do it.
For more information on C&D World 2021, go to www.cdrecycling.org/events