NPGA SE Expo Returns to Music City

This month, the National Propane Gas Association’s Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo returns to Nashville, Tennessee. In these pages, hear from several exhibitors on their expectations for the show, what they plan to discuss with other exhibitors and attendees alike, and more. Register and learn more at npgaexpo.org.

What industry trends do you expect to be the topic of conversation at the event?

“Addressing supply chain issues, propane pricing and the automation of propane tank monitoring.” — Glen MacGibbon, senior vice president (VP) of global sales & marketing, Rochester Sensors

“Innovations in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry and COVID-19 aftereffects, such as labor, supply and demand, end users’ needs changing, etc. …” — Andre Boulay, president, Otodata

“Driver shortages, steel shortages, prices for supply and navigating our industry’s uncertain future.” — Andrew Haller, business development manager, One-Tank

“I expect to hear plenty of thoughts on fluctuating fuel prices and, more broadly, the national and international economy. I also look forward to conversations about the rise in ‘electrifying everything’ and how that impacts fuel dealers.” — Barry Ackerman, sales manager, Cargas Energy

“We’re really interested in learning how propane marketers feel about the future of renewable propane and renewable dimethyl ether in the United States.” — Don Montroy, VP of marketing, Bergquist Inc.

How have the challenges of the 2021-2022 winter season affected your strategy for exhibiting and travel for 2022?

“This season’s winter challenges have driven propane marketers to be more efficient. We reviewed all our processes and updated them to improve efficiency and prepare for the future. Despite these updates, our strategy has not changed — we’ve always been dedicated to meeting our industry partners where they are, so these new efficiencies reinforce our company values.” — Barry Ackerman, sales manager, Cargas Energy

“Thankfully it hasn’t had that much of an impact on our ability to travel and exhibit. We are happy to see that many shows are coming back this year, and we are looking forward to meeting people there. Meeting people face-to-face in this industry is imperative for success and is always at the top of our list of priorities.” — Andre Boulay, president, Otodata

“Being in business for over 85 years, we want to support the industries that have supported us, so we are attending tradeshows and visiting customers while still being aware of rising costs.” — Mark Saker, VP of sales & marketing, Hannay Reels Inc.

“To be honest, we haven’t experienced much of a setback in the 2021-2022 winter season. We’ll have as many Bergquist folks attending the event as we normally do. It also gives us an opportunity to honor our Chief Financial Officer Bob Barry as current NPGA chair one more time.” — Don Montroy, VP of marketing, Bergquist Inc.

How do you ensure a positive return on investment for your team when traveling to industry events?

“We don’t typically measure success at the expo in financial terms — at least not immediately. Our focus is on building existing relationships with both customers and vendors, creating new ones and introducing the latest in propane equipment technology to the industry.” — Don Montroy, VP of marketing, Bergquist Inc.

“Cargas has been involved in the industry for over 15 years, and our software is built to maintain back-office and mobile solutions leadership for years to come. We understand that any individual event, meeting or conversation is part of a larger sales cycle. For that reason, we don’t evaluate ROI based on specific attendance and event spending. We exhibit at NPGA and many regional propane association events to demonstrate our support to the industry, maintain our thought leadership, and keep our name and reputation highly regarded.” — Barry Ackerman, sales manager, Cargas Energy

“Being able to meet with our customers and talk with end users is the positive return on our investment.” — Mark Saker, VP of sales & marketing, Hannay Reels Inc.

“There are some obvious answers like making sure messaging is on point, bringing a booth that sets you apart from others, bringing the right personnel, etc. But for us, the focus is on bringing a fantastic product that does exactly what it says on the tin. You can market and sloganeer all you want, but the product has to be truly excellent in order to excite potential customers.” — Andrew Haller, business development manager, One-Tank

How do you think the industry can improve opportunities for networking & learning at the expo?

“Increase quiet spaces where individuals can meet apart from booth and refreshment areas.” — Glen MacGibbon, senior VP of global sales & marketing, Rochester Sensors

“I think expo events should extend the time set aside for speaking engagements. Often, there are several interesting sessions that overlap, which means we have to pick one event over the other, even if both are compelling.” — Barry Ackerman, sales manager, Cargas Energy

“Propane marketers tend to know what they want. They’ll often come to shows just to buy a truck, and their contact with vendors of other products is incidental. One of the issues facing us right now is that because tanks are in such short supply and an immediate purchase is not possible, we may see a lower turnout of marketers. Because drivers are hard to come by, we may see fewer truck sales.” — Andrew Haller, business development manager, One-Tank

“Help exhibitors organize quick meetings. Ask attendees for the top companies they would like to meet at the event. Fifteen-minute appointments can be scheduled either digitally or in person.” — Andre Boulay, president, Otodata

Do you expect the move from Atlanta to Nashville to have a positive effect on attendance? Where would you like to see the SE Expo go in coming years?

“We absolutely think this will have a positive effect. Ask almost anyone who’s been around and attended past shows, and they’ll tell you they prefer Nashville. We like the convention in Nashville because of the general layout of the city, and for us, it makes more sense logistically because we’re just a few hours away in St. Louis.” — Andrew Haller, business development manager, One-Tank

“I believe that the better location and time of year will have a positive impact on attendance. I would like to see the event in Nashville; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; or perhaps a city down in Florida.” — Barry Ackerman, sales manager, Cargas Energy

“The Nashville venue has many attractions that might help attendance. Florida is the second biggest user of propane.” — Glen MacGibbon, senior VP of global sales & marketing, Rochester Sensors

What will be going on at your booth?

“Demonstrations, new product introductions, an invitation to special reception, company news and technical application information.” — Glen MacGibbon, senior vice president of global sales & marketing, Rochester Sensors (Booth 737)

“We will be showcasing our LPG reels, the standard in the industry, and a variety of new improvements on hose handling and motor options we have developed over the past year.” — Mark Saker, VP of sales & marketing, Hannay Reels Inc. (Booth 911)

“This year, One-Tank is unveiling a new product named SkyTracker Unlimited. We are bringing unmatched connectivity, improved hardware reliability and battery life, and a lower price point to help jumpstart a day-one ROI. Come by to see a demo of the dashboard software, where we’ll show you how remote metered billing for propane works.” — Andrew Haller, business development manager, One-Tank (Booth 423)

“We’ll have lots of activity at our booth this year. We will have several new items on display, most notably the Excela-Wynd hose reel from MEC and smart meter from Cavagna. We also recently hired Andy Stearns as our new director of purchasing to further support supply chain efforts; he will be at our booth and available for meetings. We’re also proud to be presenting a technical workshop on Monday morning about how dual second-stage regulators work.” — Don Montroy, VP of marketing, Bergquist Inc. (Booth 543)

“Among our latest and greatest innovations, we will be showcasing our brand-new LPG Cylinder Gas Meter!” — Andre Boulay, president, Otodata (Booth 447)

“Cargas Energy’s booth will feature product demos, customer and prospect discussions, and spotlights of our newest software features. We also want to promote our role as a sponsor for NPGA.” — Barry Ackerman, sales manager, Cargas Energy (Booth 501)