Conventional Wisdom

Los Angeles will roll out the red carpet April 5-9 as the city welcomes thousands of recycling industry professionals for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI) Convention and Exposition. The event takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center and is expected to attract more than 4,000 industry professionals. It is a place to which ISRI Vice President of Member Services Chuck Carr says people are attracted for three key reasons: networking, education and exhibits. The number of attendees continues to grow.

According to Carr, from 2000 to 2005, attendance at ISRI’s conventions averaged 2,650. From 2006 to 2010, average attendance has soared to 4,325, and ISRI says it expects this year’s convention to be greater than that. “The ISRI Convention and Exposition has become the world’s largest scrap recycling industry meeting each year,” says Carr. “Its strength is evident both in the strong support of vendors exhibiting and in the overall growth in the number of attendees in the past decade.”

WHAT YOU’LL SEE

The convention provides a chance to network with colleagues, vendors and customers. Manufacturers and service providers to the recycling industry will be displaying their latest technologies.

“The ISRI Convention and Exposition has long been the world’s largest gathering of scrap recycling professionals. That reputation has helped us build an expo that is in demand for equipment manufacturers and service providers supporting the industry,” says Carr. “This level of support helps ISRI produce a strong show, which in turn brings in a larger, high quality customer base for our exhibitors,” he adds.

There are expected to be over 225 exhibiting companies and 48,000 square feet of large equipment displays. Carr says there is currently a waiting list of exhibitors.

“With the investment credits available to our industry today, now may be the time to invest in new equipment and technology,” Carr points out. The expo hall opens with a reception on the evening of Wednesday, April 6 beginning at 6:30. The exhibit hall is open Thursday, April 7, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, April 8, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. An exhibitor list is available at www.isriconvention.org/exhibitors.html.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

The ISRI Convention and Exposition offers more than 50 educational programs, general sessions and spotlights. Carr says all of these sessions provide solid take-home value to attendees.

“Every year, we hear from attendees how they were able to pay for the cost of their entire trip from some money-saving tip that came about from attendance at the ISRI show,” he says.

The workshops begin on Wednesday, April 6, and continue through Saturday, April 9. At 8 a.m. Thursday, April 7, distinguished speaker Commander Scott Waddle will speak during the general session. The retired commander was commanding the USS Greenville on Feb. 9, 2001, when it collided with the Japanese training fishing trawler, the Ehime Maru, killing nine people aboard the vessel. Waddle will share how he and those involved have been able to cope with the tragedy. ISRI says his inspiring story brings with it lessons for the scrap industry.

Keynote speaker General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan will give his address Saturday, April 9, at 8 a.m. McChrystal has been widely recognized for his warfare style. McChrystal will share his four-star management strategy, which ISRI says stresses openness, teamwork and forward thinking.

The commodity spotlight programs will look into the factors and conditions that will impact the commodity markets in the short and long term. Spotlights on aluminum, ferrous, electronics, paper, nickel/stainless, plastics and tires/rubber are scheduled throughout the convention. There will also be a spotlight on the overall economy.

Registration is open each day of the convention at 7 a.m. Dozens of workshops will cover various topics affecting aspects of the recycling industry. The schedule is still being finalized; however, a preliminary version is available at www.isriconvention.org/schedule.html, where it will continue to be updated.

The week’s program ends with what ISRI says is a “spectacular closing night event” at the Club Nokia, at the new L.A. Live complex in Los Angeles. Carr calls the convention “the don’t-miss networking opportunity of the year.” “The ISRI convention is the place to be if you’re involved in professional recycling. The educational programs, networking opportunities and exhibits are second to none,” Carr adds.

Regular registration ends March 6. Registration fees increase after that date. Those interested in registering for the convention or looking for more details, can visit www.isriconvention.org.  

The author is associate editor of Recycling Today and can be reached at ksmith@gie.net.