April 2022 Vol. 77 No. 4
Features
RehabZone
Jeff Griffin | Senior Editor
As always, the 2022 edition of RehabZone was a vital part of 2022 Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) held this past January in in Ft. Worth, Texas,
RehabZone occupies a large area on the UCT exhibit floor and provides attendees with historical and current information about the sanitary sewer methods of rehabilitation. Displays about the various technologies and services are staffed by representatives of participating companies who provide objective, non-sales information.
The “no-selling” format is recognized as one of the reasons for the continuing success of the ’Zone.
“Over the past 26 years, RehabZone has become an integral part of the overall UCT experience,” said Robert Carpenter, UCT program director. “It provides essential information and demonstrations of modern rehabilitation methods in a generic, no-pressure environment. Attendees tour the RehabZone and then return to the exhibit floor much better equipped with beneficial knowledge to ask pertinent questions of vendors.”
According to David Hill, 2022 RehabZone committee chairman, this was a great event, with vastly increased attendance over UCT 2021.
“Despite only six months since the last show, in Nashville, it was well-attended, and everything went as planned.”
Hill said there was a steady stream of attendees and the staffed information tables and equipment had heavy traffic. The committee members and a host of other volunteers had positive contact with attendees and shared information about the stand-alone displays.
The ’Zone exhibit floor layout had only minor changes, primarily because the 50th anniversary of CIPP was showcased at the 2021 convention.
“We had two live demonstrations,” said, Hill. “One was for UV liner installation and the other was entry into confined space and styrene safety. Safety is an integral part of our program.”
The Robot Rodeo was a popular attraction. “The rodeo was designed to allow attendees to drive three different robots,” Hill said. “They navigated down a pipe and popped out laterals that were covered with pictures of ‘critters’ that can be found in the sewers.
“We went with this approach this year to cut down on the noise levels that occur when cutting pipe in the past. Overall, this was a successful exhibit, though feedback indicates that attendees would also like to be making noise cutting holes in pipes. The committee will re-evaluate this popular feature to include in 2023.”
Hill credited the commitment and work of RehabZone committee members for producing a top-notch event.
“They gave their time during the planning, helping get sponsors, were involved in the 2022 T-shirt design, and were instrumental in the setup and dismantling the RehabZone exhibits. During the show, they shared their technical knowledge with attendees. The RehabZone would not be possible without these volunteers.”
Hill is the cutter/TV manager at SAK Construction. The 2022 show was the first of his two-year term as RehabZone chairman. He can be contacted at dhill@sakcon.com. Co-chair of the 2023 RehabZone is Jessica Williams of Avanti, jessica.williams@avantigrout.com.
UCT 2023 will be held at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 7–9. •
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