BCMC Blog: Time to Get Excited!

Again this year during BCMC week, get day-by-day updates from our man-in-the-field, Jess Lohse, President of Rocky Mountain Truss Co. in Havre MT:

Well, it’s that time of year again. Everyone is gearing up for BCMC. This year, we head to New Orleans for a different kind of show in a different kind of setting. How can you not be excited about that?

I’ve been visiting various tourist sites to plan my meals around the wonderful Cajun cuisine and nightlife. To learn more about the culture and characteristics of New Orleans, I’m watching HBO’s ‘Treme’ and hoping I stumble across an old-time jazz club with live music or take in the fare only found in the Big Easy.  Since BCMC announced it was coming to New Orleans, Greg Renner (this year’s BCMC Chair) has been talking about beignets. After spending some time on Google learning how to spell beignet, I’ve made it my non-show goal to visit the Cafè du Monde for what looks to be a tasty treat!

This BCMC will focus on educational sessions, while gearing back the amount of equipment on the show floor. All of your favorite vendors will be in attendance with ‘table top’ displays featuring products and services, highlighted with multimedia presentations and salesmanship rather than the traditional equipment roll out. This change in format allowed the BCMC Committee to move the show under one roof at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, just a couple blocks off Bourbon Street.

Once again, the BCMC Build project will make homeownership a reality for a deserving family, while highlighting the brilliance and efficiency of component manufacturers’ and suppliers’ product offerings. Rick Parrino and company have done a great job coordinating materials and schedules. A quick look at the 10-day forecast for New Orleans has highs in the low 80s with 0% chance of rain. Will we know what to do with a dry and sunny build day? Hopefully I don’t jinx the build by commenting on the weather this far out!

I’m very excited about the kick-off speaker. Working with Jason Blenker, the Programs Co-Chair, I’ve had the inside scoop on the speaker for quite some time. As far as I know, it is still a surprise, and oh what a fun surprise it will be! I wish I could see everyone’s faces when the speaker takes the stage. I hope the floor at the Sheraton is sturdy because there are sure to be a lot of jaws hitting it simultaneously.

The educational session lineup is also sure to be a hit. I think we've covered topics for every position in a CM operation, save the janitor. No, I stand corrected. If a janitor does attend the show, we can ship them over to the SBCA booth to talk about the Combustible Dust Housekeeping Program.

I hope everyone gets a chance to spend a lot of time on the show floor. Greg Griggs has done a wonderful job of compiling vendors for the show. Manufacturing today isn’t so much about the latest and greatest equipment as it is about better utilizing what you already have or picking up that used piece of equipment to compliment your operation. I always enjoy talking with the vendors about what I can do to better utilize our equipment and learn about software features we’re not currently using. Of course, you’re also bound to run into fellow CMs you haven’t seen in ages while on the show floor.

In a nutshell, I’m getting very excited about BCMC this year. Hopefully you’ll be able to follow along with this blog in between show sessions or while sitting in your office stuck at home. If anything happens that I miss or if you would just like a ‘shout out’, feel free to stop me on the show floor or at the build site to get a mention. We’re just over a week away and I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am.  See you in N’awlins!