With attendance numbers rising above 2,000 and more booths than there have been in the last five years, AWCI’s Convention & INTEX Expo in New Orleans was a great success. Those in attendance heard inspiring words from retired Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré, who is best known for serving as commander of Joint Task Force Katrina responsible for coordinating military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas across the Gulf Coast, at the awards brunch. AWCI’s brunch also highlighted the industry’s best when it comes to quality construction, safety and innovation. (Those winners are featured on pages 38 through 49 of this magazine.)
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome housed more than 300 booths during the INTEX Expo, which featured innovative products and services for wall and ceiling contractors.
The Foundation of the Wall and Ceiling Industry hosted two raffles during AWCI’s Convention in addition to a silent auction. Proceeds from these fundraisers help support the Foundation’s mission to be an active, unbiased source of information and education to support the wall and ceiling industry.
Renée Cieslikowski and seven of her coworkers from National Gypsum in Charlotte, N.C., won the $5,000 raffle. This fundraiser generated $15,000 in donations for the Foundation, and it was sponsored by Grabber Construction Products.
Shawna Hinson of Marek in Coppell, Texas, won the David Yurman necklace in the AWCI CARES jewelry raffle, which raised more than $6,000. Richter System® of Griesheim, Germany, sponsored this raffle.
The silent auction was an array of items including electronics, tools and materials, travel packages, jewelry, artwork and a New England lobster bake. Thank you to all the supporters who sold tickets, donated items and to those attendees who purchased them.
Thanks also to our event sponsors. AWCI thanks these companies for their sponsorships at AWCI’s Convention:
Platinum Level
National Gypsum
USG
Silver Level
Clark Dietrich Building Systems
Hilti
Bronze Level
American Gypsum
CEMCO
Dryvit
Flex-Ability Concepts
Gypsum Association
Panel Rey
Many thanks to these companies for their sponsorship of the INTEX Expo:
Gold Level
CEMCO
CertainTeed
Hilti
Silver Level
Armstrong
Continental Building Products
Crane Composites
Glasteel
Hunter Panels
Johns Manville
National Gypsum
USG
Bronze Level
American Gypsum
Award Metals
BIK Hydraulics
Castle Access Panels
ClarkDietrich
Collis Crane Works
Custom Stud
eSub
Exaktime
Grabber
Halstead
IUPAT FTI
L.D. Peters & Sons
Master Wall
On Center Software
Plastic Components
Plexxis Software
Project DocControl
Simpson Strong-Tie
Trim-Tex