Monthly Update - November 2020

Feature

Register now: virtual fall committee meetings (Nov. 17-19)

Author: Sarah Magruder Lyle, CGA President and CEO

CGA is looking forward to hosting the fall committee meetings virtually on Tuesday, Nov. 17 through Thursday, Nov. 19. The meetings will feature facilitated roundtable discussions, key program updates and task team reports. Guest Speaker Dr. Matthew A. Cronin, Associate Professor of Management at George Mason University’s School of Management, will lead a discussion on ”Changing your perspective so you solve the right problem” during an hour-long lunch session on day one. In addition, the Legislative Roundtable lunch session will be open to all committee members on day two.

The virtual meetings will be held on Zoom, allowing committee members to interact, view presenters, utilize the chat feature for questions and discussions, take advantage of polling, and incorporate meeting handouts.

Click here to register for the virtual meetings on the CGA Engage platform. Please note all time listed are EST.

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2021 CGA Conference & Expo will feature 50 educational sessions

Author: Khrysanne Kerr, CGA Vice President of Marketing and Outreach

We are a little over four months away from the 2021 CGA Conference & Expo! Join damage prevention decision-makers from across the country as they come together for the biggest show on dirt March 2-5, 2021 in Orlando, FL.

With guidance from the CGA Advisory Panel comprised of multiple stakeholder groups, there are 50 interactive education sessions – including multiple sessions from PHMSA – consisting of five tracks under development: Innovation, Stakeholder Engagement & Communication, Damage Prevention Process, Workplace Performance & Culture, and Legislative & Regulatory Outlook- Industry Impacts. Stay tuned for session updates and speaker announcements coming soon. In the meantime, view the conference schedule-at-a-glance to see how each day of the three-day conference will be broken down.

To register for the conference or to learn about remaining sponsorship opportunities, visit CGAConference.com. We hope to see you in Orlando in March!

News Brief

Planet Underground hosts outdoor Roundtable Live! event

Author: Matt Streets, Planet Underground

This past September, the underground utility world converged at the Planet Underground headquarters in Manteno, IL to take part in their annual outdoor Roundtable Live! event.

Attendees witnessed a wide range of excavating, locating and mapping activities performed on live underground utilities by operators and technicians. The popularity and uniqueness of this event was watching utility contractors first-hand in real life environments, using top quality equipment and machinery, and being able to interact with them while receiving feedback and tips on tools, techniques and more.

Even though the event was held outdoors, mask-wearing and social distancing protocols were encouraged to make sure that everyone was safe. With the beautiful late summer weather and delicious BBQ for everyone, there were plenty of great opportunities for networking as well. Planet Underground thanks everyone who came out and hopes to see everyone again next year.

Member Tool & Resources

Download new Locator White Paper, sign-up for member webinar

Author: Erika Lee, CGA Vice President

CGA recently published the new 2020 White Paper, “Insights into Improving the Delivery of Accurate, On-Time Locates,” which analyzes key research findings, provides insights into some of the biggest challenges facing the locating industry, and explores potential practices that damage prevention advocates can adopt to improve the timeliness and accuracy of locates. You can download the Locator White Paper on CGA’s website, where we will continue to post tools to share the report and its findings with your organization.

In addition, CGA will be hosting a member webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. EST to discuss the Locator White Paper in more detail. Click here to register online.

Data & Technology

DIRT report member toolkit available online

Author: Steve Blaney, DIRT Program Manager

Following the release of the 2019 DIRT Report, CGA has created a suite of tools and resources to help support member efforts in education and highlighting key takeaways, including a data sheet, article template, presentation deck, and data charts and graphs.

Visit the CGA website to download the complete DIRT Report and to access the Interactive DIRT Dashboard, which allows users to view both 2018 and 2019 DIRT data. If you are interested in submitting data to the 2020 report or establishing a Virtual Private DIRT account, visit the DIRT website at cga-dirt.com.

Association News

Limited sponsorships remain for the 2021 CGA Conference & Expo

Author: Khrysanne Kerr, CGA Vice President of Marketing and Outreach

We want to make you aware of the limited number of remaining sponsorships to ensure that your organization has the opportunity to secure a prominent place at the 2021 CGA Conference & Expo in March.

Conference sponsors will be front-and-center for top industry professionals as they explore the conference, engage in educational sessions and committee meetings, or enjoy networking and hospitality events. Additionally, by sponsoring the CGA Conference & Expo, your organization is directly supporting the future of damage prevention and the nation’s premier 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to protecting buried infrastructure and the communities built around it.

You can learn more about all the benefits of sponsoring the CGA Conference & Expo and details on the available opportunities on the conference website. Many sponsorship opportunities are sold out, so if your organization is interested in pursuing a sponsorship, we encourage you to act fast! As always, customizable opportunities are available too. For questions, email kerr@commongroundalliance.com.

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