Denver hosts this year’s “Best Show in Public Works”

More than 6,000 public works professionals will gather Sept. 18–21 for the 2011 APWA International Public Works Congress & Exposition at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

Attendees will discover emerging trends, innovative solutions and best practices in public works during 200 educational sessions, covering transportation, solid waste, construction, fleet, facilities, grounds, environment, sustainability, water, street and road maintenance, and other topics.

More than 400 exhibitors on 90,000 square feet of exhibit floor will showcase products, services and technologies specific to public works. Special “non-compete” hours enable attendees to visit the exhibit area without missing other Congress events. Prize drawings and live interviews with session speakers will be part of the 2011 Congress exhibit area excitement. On Sunday afternoon during the Congress, NFL games will be broadcast live throughout the exhibit floor so attendees can cheer on their favorite teams.

Education sessions and exhibit showcase presentations are eligible for CEU credit. The CEU is a nationally accepted measure of participation in continuing education activities. By obtaining them, attendees can demonstrate to their employers and certification bodies that they are learning new skills and keeping current with changes in the profession. The Congress registration fee covers the cost of CEU processing.

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, the APWA Water Resources Committee sponsors “Public Works Stormwater Summit — A Western Viewpoint.” The all-day session focuses on stormwater facilities and programs.

At the Congress’ Workshop Wednesday (Sept. 21) program, attendees can tour the city and county of Denver’s new fleet maintenance facility, which was designed to accommodate alternative fuel vehicles.

Another Wednesday session, titled “Using Whitetopping — Stretching Roadway Dollars,” addresses whitetopping, the sustainable process of constructing a new concrete pavement over worn existing asphalt pavement. The resource-conserving process has been used extensively in Colorado.

Keynote speakers
At the Sunday (Sept. 18) opening general session, Michael Hayden will address the Congress audience. His topic: “Crisis Management in Complex Organizations.”

Hayden, a retired Air Force four-star general, served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and deputy director of National Intelligence at a time when the course of world events was changing at a rapidly accelerating rate. As the director of the country’s chief intelligence-gathering agency, he was on the frontline of geopolitical strife and the war on terrorism at a time when communication was being revolutionized.

In his talk, General Hayden will dissect the political situations in the hot spots in every corner of the world, analyzing the tumultuous global environment and what it all means. He will share personal stories and impart the wisdom from key historic events to illustrate the real-world changes he was part of in his tenure at the CIA. Public works audiences will appreciate his insight into organizational change, transparency and leadership.

As communities change and the demands on the public works sector increase, public works leaders are changing how they operate their departments, mobilize community resources and engage staff. Ian Hill, an award-winning change agent and founder and president of The Changing Point will address the topics of change and making adjustments in public works management in his speech, “Becoming a Community Builder—Leadership in Changing Times,” at the APWA Congress Monday (Sept. 19) general session.

Hill is best known to APWA audiences as the creator of APWA’s popular online professional development series “Leadership in Changing Times.” More than 4,000 public works officials have taken part in the series. As a champion of the public sector in North America, Hill understands the role that public works plays in the betterment of neighborhoods and workplaces.

At the APWA Congress Wednesday (Sept. 21) general session, sports psychologist and professor of Human Performance Gregg Steinberg will offer a presentation titled, “Full Throttle: How to Supercharge Your Energy and Performance at Work.”

Steinberg is a frequent guest on The Golf Channel and has served as a commentator for Fox News’ coverage of the 2008 Olympics and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” He has authored books on topics ranging from golf psychology to parenting. His newly released “Full Throttle” deals with work performance.
More information is here on the 2011 APWA congress and exposition.