Things appear to be slowly getting back to normal now – whatever ‘normal’ means in this post-Covid landscape. Barring any unforeseen global developments, we might hope for a continuing transition to normality with tunneling continuing unabated, although this will depend on where you are in the world. The war in Ukraine is a worry and, at the time of writing, it remains to be seen how it will affect global trade. But in conjunction with the lingering effects of Covid, the impact could be huge.
But barring all that, the North American Tunneling Show (NAT) is getting ready to go and, by all accounts, looks set to live up to its reputation as one of the two main biennial tunneling shows in the US (the other being RETC – Rapid Excavation & Tunneling Conference).
Three months before NAT begins, and as TTNA went to press, the organizer has confirmed that the exhibit hall’s more than 120 booths are sold out and a very strong attendance is expected generally.
So, as the tunneling sector is once again able to come together this year and network at NAT2022, what can we look forward to?
RENDEZVOUS IN ‘PHILLY’
The show will be held in the historic city of Philadelphia which, with a population of over 1.6m, is the sixth most populous city in the US and, after New York, the second most populous in the North-East US.
Philadelphia was founded by William Penn in 1682 and played a leading role in the American Revolution. Because of its large-scale construction projects such as roads, canals and railroads, it would become the country’s first major industrial city. Traditional industries included textiles, clothes manufacturing, maritime trade and industrial production. Today, Philadelphia has a more diverse economy, but is strong in the knowledge-based sector, particularly education, health and social services – areas which in the past 50 years have become dominant at the expense of manufacturing.
Philadelphia is also a major center for immigration, with large populations of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, East European, Indian, Mexican and others. With a rich cultural heritage and diverse ethnic restaurants, the city and its hinterland also have a skilled workforce.
In 2017, Philadelphia was ranked by Walk Score as the fifth most walkable major city in the US, which must be good news to those wishing to explore on foot while visiting NAT. The weather should be mild to hot, with typical mid-June temperatures hitting average highs of 28°C and lows of 18°C.
WHAT’S IN STORE?
Contractors, engineers, owners, academics, manufacturers and suppliers can look forward to a comprehensive program. The focus will be on technology and innovation in tunneling that has enabled the discovery of new industry successes.
Delegates will be able to participate in a wide variety of themed technical sessions that will span the entire gamut of tunneling technology, bringing to the forefront some of the most interesting projects in North America and the rest of the world. A key benefit of these sessions is that the accumulated experience of all the various conference speakers amounts to literally hundreds of years. The only problem will be to decide on which technical presentation to attend. One thing is certain: visitors will be spoilt for choice, whether for technical papers or for the innovations on display.
For further information about NAT and to register, visit www.natconference.com
