I have vivid memories of the first time I attended the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo, what you now know as the WWETT Show. I compare the experience of walking into the exhibit hall to how it felt when my dad took me to a Major League Baseball game for the first time.

If you grew up loving baseball, you know what I’m talking about. You walk down a catwalk into the grandstand and see that perfectly groomed playing field for the first time. The deep green grass, the sharp white chalk lines heading out to those towering yellow foul poles. The players warming up in their bright, clean uniforms. The organ blasting away and the vendors hawking peanuts. You can scarcely take it all in, but at once you realize “this is the way baseball is meant to be played.”

That’s how it was when I landed in Nashville for the first time and hit the floor of what they simply called “the Pumper Show” so many years ago. All those shiny vacuum trucks parked on what seemed like miles of red carpet. The portable restroom displays from all the manufacturers — every model in every color — and all the service accessories. Thousands of folks in their company-branded-shirts pushing their way into the hall when the doors opened to meet and greet their regular vendors. And I realized that “this is what the wastewater industry is all about.”

The WWETT Show can be almost overwhelming. Going back some 20 years, I recall talking to other attendees about the newfound pride they felt for being part of this industry after they came to the show. PROs would take their sons and daughters to see the new technologies and the professionalism shown by all the exhibitors and educators coming from all corners of the world. We newcomers couldn’t help but feel good being part of an industry that — let’s face it — doesn’t always get a lot of respect.

EARLIER DATES

And the WWETT tradition continues again this month, when some 12,000 of our industry friends convene Jan. 24-27 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The 2024 WWETT Show is a little earlier this year, but besides moving up from past February dates, the schedule is familiar, with Wednesday, Jan. 24, dedicated to education seminars, and then the exhibit hall opening Thursday, Jan. 25, and Friday, Jan. 26, between 9 a.m. and 

5 p.m., and the show closing on Saturday, Jan. 27, with doors open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. An estimated 600 exhibitors will show off their products and services.

For many reasons, I think the WWETT Show offers a real shot in the arm for busy PROs who spend 51 weeks a year satisfying demanding customers and sometimes facing scorn for the type of work they do. It’s that time of the year when you get to meet up with other business owners who know what you’re going through. You are reminded that there is great value in providing portable sanitation. You also learn new techniques and best business practices that will give you a leg up on the competition back home.

Of course, the main draw is seeing, touching and learning about the latest and greatest tools you use in the portable sanitation industry. The WWETT Show gives you the rare opportunity to compare all the restrooms, all the restroom trailers, and all of the vacuum trucks the industry has to offer in one place. Visiting websites is great, but nothing replaces seeing equipment in person before making a big buying choice.

TAKING NOTES

But don’t let this massive display of equipment distract you completely from the vast education opportunities available at the WWETT Show. This year it offers about 90 seminars covering a wide variety of technical topics, marketing tips and human resources issues to help you improve your business. As I do every year, I read through the class offerings and biographies of the speakers and picked out some seminars that may be of interest to you and your crew.

Consider the following:

Transportation and Logistics in Portable Sanitation, Wednesday, Jan. 24. 10:30 a.m.-noon

The session offers a how-to for route-running service technicians. It will cover preparing trucks and portable restrooms for transportation and setup in the field, the unique challenges of transporting liquid waste, how to select the best sites for placing restrooms, and identify laws and regulations that apply to waste disposal. The presenter is Jamie Gunderson, a certified trainer and member of the Portable Sanitation Association International Training Committee, as well as an operations manager for Honey Bucket.

Portable Sanitation and Work Sites, Wednesday, Jan. 24. 1-2:30 p.m.

PROs will learn ways to grow their skills and confidence serving work site customers. Topics covered will be best practices for a variety of work sites, serving special work sites including federal installations, schools and large retail stores and determining the optimal number and type of restrooms for a variety of work  sites. The presenter is Jamie Gunderson, an operations manager for Honey Bucket.

Small Business Administration 101 – Start, Grow, Expand and Recover, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 1-2:30 p.m.

Learn how to unlock the vast resources available to small businesses through the SBA. The federal agency helps people start new businesses, grow existing businesses, expand through exporting and government contracting, and recover in the event of a disaster. Leading the session will be Ronda Crouch, economic development specialist at the SBA and a 32-year veteran in several positions for the agency.

First Steps to Government Contracting, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 3-4 p.m.

The federal government is the world’s largest buyer of goods and services. This session helps small business owners learn the steps necessary to become a federal contractor. Attendees will learn about the benefits of federal certifications, how to apply, and hear about the opportunities to market companies to federal agencies. The presenter is Ronda Crouch, economic development specialist for the SBA.

Killer Culture! Create an Environment that Transforms Employees Into Raving Fans of Your Business, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 3-4 p.m.

Learn how to engage employees and improve employee retention through the use of simple tools and programs. The session will explain the difference between “killer culture” and “culture killer,” help businesses identify their core values, ensure a sense of dignity and employee connection, and how to keep a positive culture alive. The presenter is Ty Rogers, vice president of sales and marketing for portable sanitation provider Quick Space in Sparks, Nevada. 

The 2023 Portable Sanitation Industry Benchmark Report, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 3-4 p.m.

Portable Sanitation industry software provider ServiceCore spent two years surveying portable restroom operators to identify what profitable businesses are doing to succeed. The session will share results of the survey that will include the revenue category that drove most profits, how operators are changing billing practices, supply chain improvements and areas of expected growth in the industry in 2024. The presenter is Jonah Chilton, CEO of ServiceCore.

Adding Restroom Trailers to Your Portable or Septic Business and How to Grow It, Thursday, Jan. 25, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Learn one manufacturer’s take on the opportunities available by adding restroom trailers. Topics to be covered include marketing restroom trailers, return on investment for restroom trailers, and the benefits of adding restroom trailers to a PRO’s business. The presenter is Adam Ghrist, co-owner of Lang Specialty Trailers.

Training Your Employees Improves Productivity, Morale and Safety, Thursday, Jan. 25, 11 a.m.-noon

Routine training of existing workforce and new hires will help with retention of important information and more effective onboarding. The session will cover the benefits of regular training, including reducing maintenance costs, reduction in equipment downtime, improved production, better employee morale and improved safety awareness. The speaker is Rusty Nezat, director at Houston-based Nezat Training and Consulting.

General Session – Trade Associations in the Wastewater Industry, Thursday, Jan. 25, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

A panel discussion involving representatives of several industry trade associations will cover topics including advocacy, raising industry standards, education and workforce issues. A Q&A session will follow. Panelists include Kim Seipp, of the National Association of Wastewater Technicians; Sheila Joy, executive director at the National Association of Sewer Service Companies; Tom Groves, executive director of the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association; and Veronica Crosier, executive director of the Portable Sanitation Association International.

How SWOT (Strength/Weakness/Opportunity/Threats) Analysis Helps With Strategic Planning, Friday, Jan. 26, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Attendees will learn the basics of developing a SWOT analysis to find new niches in their sectors. The session will help discover what is working and what isn’t for each company, identify with employees the pitfalls companies face, and how to proceed after developing a SWOT plan. The presenter is Bradley Denton, president at Philmont Inc., and a veteran of the portable sanitation industry.

A FINAL THOUGHT

If you are already planning to attend the WWETT Show, I hope you have a fantastic few days away from work and productive time on the exhibit floor and in the classroom. If you haven’t yet decided to attend, think about the value the show might have for crew members new to the wastewater industry or your sons and daughters who are just starting to work with you. Like it was for me, going to that first WWETT Show might be an important career motivator for the next generation.