Lone Star Stampede

WasteExpo, billed by its organizers as the largest trade show serving the solid waste and recycling industries, is May 17-20 in Dallas. More than 440 exhibitors are expected to show off their products and services at the Dallas Convention Center.

WasteExpo also features educational conference sessions and networking and social opportunities. Additionally, co-located conferences focusing on medical waste and landfill technology are available to attendees in 2004.

ON THE AGENDA. Recyclers who journey to Dallas for WasteExpo may choose to spend some time in the exhibit hall, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues., May 18, and Weds., May 19, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thurs., May, 20. Those involved in managing operations of a recycling company will have a chance to talk to baler makers and other processing equipment manufacturers, as well as to representatives from collection truck companies and mobile material handling manufacturers.

In some cases, equipment makers and distributors will have demonstration models on the floor available for close inspection.

Many attendees will choose to split their time between the exhibit hall and several concurrent educational sessions, including a set of sessions concentrating on recycling.

The WasteExpo Recycling Educational Track includes a "Recycling Markets Panel" that will convene Monday morning, May 17, from 8:30 to 9:45. Other Monday Recycling sessions include: "The Recovered Paper Market—Boom or Bust?"; "Urban Recycling—What are the Latest Trends?"; and "E-Waste: A New Market . . . A New Profit Opportunity."

The following days include fewer recycling-specific sessions, but sessions pertaining to topics such as C&D (construction and demolition) debris management, municipal contract negotiations, truck fleet route management, flow control, controlling nuisance complaints at facilities and truck fleet maintenance may still be of interest to recyclers.

IN DALLAS. WasteExpo’s owner and management firm, Primedia Business Exhibitions, has worked with show founder and co-organizer the Environmental Industries Associations (EIA) to include several networking events.

For those who like to talk shop on the golf course, the BASF 2004 EIA Golf Invitational has been scheduled for Mon., May 17, at 8:00 a.m. The tournament takes place at the Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club in nearby Keller, Texas, on a course designed by legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. An awards luncheon will follow the tournament.

Other attendees can kick off their networking rounds at the WasteExpo Welcome Reception, Monday evening from 6:30 to 9:30. The Hyatt Regency Dallas Landmark Ballroom will be converted into the "WasteExpo Sports Bar" for the event, with billiards tables, dart boards, foosball, air hockey and other favorite sports bar activities available.

Female Iditarod dog sled racer DeeDee Jonrowe will be the guest speaker at Tuesday’s EIA Inspirational and Awards Breakfast. Thirteen times, Jonrowe has finished the legendary Alaskan dog sled racing event in the top 10.

The EIA will also recognize its leaders at the breakfast event and present the 2004 inductees into its Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees include Royal Coulter of Peoria Disposal Co., Peoria, Ill.; Tom Fatjo of Waste Corp. of America Inc., Houston; Don Galbreath, who founded container and equipment maker Galbreath Inc. and now is marketing equipment at Galfab Inc., Winamac, Ind.; and Edward L. Vogel of Vogel Disposal Service Inc., Mars, Pa.

WasteExpo is also conducting a raffle and an equipment auction, both designed to allow attendees to leave the show as proud owners of new equipment. The Weds., May 19, equipment auction will also allow attendees to bid on sports memorabilia and to purchase a raffle ticket for a 1965 Corvette Stingray.

Beyond WasteExpo, attendees can explore Dallas-Fort Worth, enjoying the local shopping, dining and museums.

The author is editor of Recycling Today and can be contacted via e-mail at btaylor@RecyclingToday.com.