As the 2025 NPGA Southeastern & International Propane Expo fast approaches, BPN reached out to several exhibitors to pick their brains on what they are looking to accomplish at the propane industry’s largest event of the year. From the often-overlooked value of personal stories shared at industry events to the strategies their companies are deploying to capitalize on in-person networking, here are some of the key things to keep an eye on in Charlotte, North Carolina, this April.
This is the second year the expo will be in Charlotte, North Carolina. Did you exhibit at the expo last year, and if so, were there any takeaways that your team will be focusing on this year?
Trey Nichols, executive vice president, Silverline Solutions: We did exhibit in Charlotte last year. Our main focus is spending time with our customers. We enjoy seeing and speaking with them. We are all so busy throughout the year, so it is great to be able to shake their hands and tell them thank you for allowing us to serve them.
Mike Procopio, project operations manager, PDI Technologies: We loved the layout of the Charlotte conference. The proximity and walkability of the event is fantastic. The takeaway and focus this year will be on talking to as many of our current customers as possible while fostering new relationships with other companies looking for a new solution.
Kevin Jaffe, COO, Mopeka: Mopeka had the opportunity to exhibit in 2024, and Charlotte is a beautiful and lively city with a great heritage for hospitality, music, sports, restaurants and craft brewing. This will let all of us not only enjoy the conference content, but also the after-hours activities. Balance between work and play is everything when it comes to long conferences, and proximity is everything when it comes to picking a conference venue — and the NPGA team have got it right again!
Chelsea Uphaus, director of marketing, ROUSH CleanTech: We did exhibit last year. We were in the autogas pavilion and brought Susan Roush McClenaghan’s propane-powered drag car. The takeaways that we will be focusing on are ways to engage the propane marketers to educate them on the options available to operate trucks that run on the very fuel they sell: propane.
Freddie Riddler, head of business growth, Rural Computer Consultants Inc.: We did exhibit last year at the expo. In fact, this is our 39th year exhibiting at the NPGA Southeastern Expo! Last year, we were impressed by the clean and well-organized venue, the fresh location and the strong turnout of both marketers and suppliers. The event was well-spaced, allowing for a smooth experience. This year, our team plans to focus on expanding our networking efforts with other vendors to gain insights into their latest projects and innovations.
Robert Kenney, CEO, Metsa: Yes, we exhibited last year in Charlotte, and the biggest value for us was the opportunity to meet face-to-face with our current customers and build new relationships. These in-person conversations allow us to better understand their needs, gather feedback and strengthen partnerships. This year, we’re focused on connecting with both existing and new customers, continuing those valuable discussions and finding ways to support their businesses with our high-quality propane tanks.
The expo schedule can be very busy. How does your team prioritize and organize where to direct its time and energy?
Nichols: We are presenting this year, so our main focus will be preparing a really educational and beneficial presentation. Secondly, we will try to notify and schedule some face-to-face time with customers.
Procopio: This isn’t our first rodeo. We’ve exhibited at this event for 15 years now, so we have our resource allocation down to a science. Our booth will be comprised of PDI employees with close to a combined 100 years of industry experience. Whether you’re interested in home heat and propane back-office software, payments, enterprise software for wholesalers, or just want to chat about the industry, we’ll be at booth 603 ready to talk!
Jaffe: With another packed agenda for the conference, prioritization is key. Customers are our focus, both existing and new. We look to always maximize our time in being able to meet and spend meaningful time with them. Our expo booth is therefore a huge priority, as are the key breakout sessions that are taking place during non-expo hours. Divide and conquer if there are key engagements that need to take place off the expo floor.
Uphaus: We manage our schedule based on the objectives we set out for the event. We are always trying to educate the propane industry about autogas and ways to sell more autogas, but we also want to sell some trucks to make the return on investment worthwhile to us for this event.
Riddler: Great question! Ha! The Southeastern Expo is nonstop action — from the expo floor to educational sessions, networking and special events, it’s a whirlwind of energy, and we love every second of it! To make the most of it, we prioritize and organize our time strategically. We send multiple RCC team members to cover key events, making sure we’re everywhere we need to be. Kyle will be leading an educational session, while I’ll be hosting the live Women in Propane Podcast. It’s all about teamwork, coordination and keeping the momentum going!
Kenney: Before the show, our team builds a solid game plan — who we’re meeting, what we’re showcasing and how we’re adding value for visitors. We prioritize time at the booth to connect with both current and new customers, decide which industry sessions are must-sees and connect one-on-one with customers and colleagues, which includes lots of lunches and dinners.
What are some of the goals your team is looking to accomplish at this year’s expo?
Nichols: Our primary goal is to provide a really valuable and beneficial presentation. Our secondary goal is to just talk and spend some face-to-face time with our customers.
Procopio: As always, the goal is to get quality face time with our customer base and other home heat and propane companies in the market. Given the scale and location of the show, we get to see customers we may not see at the smaller regional shows, and it also gives us a chance to strengthen those relationships and forge new ones.
Jaffe: 1) Networking and relationship building; 2) Lead generation and sales; 3) Brand awareness and thought leadership; 4) Learning and professional development; 5) Strategic partnerships and collaboration — connecting with distributors, regulatory bodies and commercial clients, showcasing safety innovations such as monitored cathodic protection.
Uphaus: Educate propane marketers on how to sell propane autogas to school districts and encourage propane marketers to operate propane-powered bobtail trucks in their operations.
Riddler: At this year’s expo, our team aims to strengthen relationships with current customers, gain valuable insights by listening to the industry's needs, identify actionable takeaways to drive future improvements and create new connections that lead to meaningful partnerships and sales opportunities.
Kenney: At this year's expo, we're excited to introduce Metsa's new turnkey cathodic monitoring package for customers who use underground tanks and want a "one stop" for durable steel, tank safety and performance data. The integrated unit — part of our partnership with Mopeka — arrives on-site, ready to go straight from our factory. Additionally, we're looking to strengthen relationships with propane distributors, marketers and our industry partners.
In your experience, are there any experiences or opportunities that tend to get pushed to the periphery at these kinds of events, but which hold great value to participants?
Nichols: No. I think NPGA does a great job for both the vendors and companies attending.
Procopio: I’ve found that items we have scheduled on a product road map, and are a lower priority, may get a nudge forward due to the variety of customers or prospects asking for the same thing. I view this as a positive, because it shows we got it “right” by including it on the road map and can tailor our development efforts due to market demand.
Jaffe: Spending additional time exploring new technologies on the expo floor is key for attendees. This will ensure they come away not only with great education, but also understand where and how their organizations can grow in 2025 and beyond. The expo floor is where this happens!
Uphaus: The networking opportunities are the best for our team because we’re able to talk with many different individuals in a short amount of time. The educations sessions sometimes have to take a backseat for us if we are managing the booth or entertaining customers.
Riddler: The propane industry is deeply rooted in family and community. We all have stories to share, and often, these stories evolve into meaningful and impactful experiences. Unfortunately, the opportunity to share these moments sometimes gets overlooked at events. However, fostering an environment where these stories can be exchanged among friends and colleagues adds immense value, strengthening connections and enriching the industry as a whole.
Kenney: Conversations at events or after sessions can lead to valuable joint ventures and partnerships, while visiting other booths can spark new ideas.
Given the shifting political and economic landscape, what are the main topics or questions your team hopes to learn more about through the educational sessions offered?
Nichols: I am always interested in hearing about the economic and political landscape of our industry, regardless of year or party in office.
Procopio: One of our goals as a technology company is to be pioneers for industry innovation. Most of our product enhancements and developments have come from client feedback and ideas. Our job is to listen to their input and other industry professionals on where the industry is heading and plan one or even two steps ahead.
Jaffe: For a propane organization in the U.S. in 2025, key questions should focus on market trends, regulations, technology advancements and business opportunities. Here are some critical areas to consider: market and industry trends, regulatory and policy changes, technology, and innovation.
Uphaus: How the propane industry is positioning propane to be the best energy source to ensure our energy security going forward.
Riddler: Artificial intelligence — it’s a vast and rapidly evolving topic, impacting nearly every industry. We’re eager to explore its applications and implications further. Additionally, we want to learn more about the broader offerings of the propane industry beyond its well-known contributions, such as heating homes, providing a clean cooking solution and powering engines. A key question we have is: How is the propane industry positioning itself to compete with the growing push for electrification?
Kenney: We're watching this closely so we can effectively translate steel price shifts into helpful info for our customers that they can use to minimize impact: How can they use smart buying strategies to ensure new units get to the field without destroying their budget for the year? One of the bright spots here is that our regional supply chain is strong. Rochester Gauges and RegO valves are all made close to our plant, so we have some built-in local resilience to help cushion the downside of potential disruptions.
How does your team ensure conversations and connections made at the expo turn into meaningful business opportunities afterward?
Nichols: We always take digital and physical notes of any conversation so that we can ensure productive follow-up.
Procopio: Our events team provides us with a variety of tools to ensure we have quality engagement post-event that piggybacks on the in-person meetings and interactions at the show. We have a fine-tuned follow-up strategy that takes our badge scans, which flow directly into our CRM. Our team will review our conversations and meetings to qualify those contacts where a more formal and tailored approach is taken with each individual connection.
Jaffe: We hold daily debrief meetings after the conference to review key discussions, assess opportunities and plan strategic follow-ups with key organizations. We prioritize every lead, ensuring no opportunity is overlooked and maintain strong follow-ups with both existing and potential customers. At the event’s conclusion, we reconvene as a team to refine our follow-up strategy and outline next steps, keeping customer engagement at the heart of our approach.
Uphaus: Follow up, follow up, follow up!
Riddler: We make sure to follow up personally after the expo, keeping the conversation going and finding ways to collaborate. It all starts with a handshake and a good conversation!
Kenney: Having a follow-up strategy is key. After the expo, we continue conversations to build lasting relationships. Connecting with attendees on LinkedIn also helps keep the momentum going.
What strategies does your team use to engage with attendees and maximize interactions at the booth?
Nichols: We try to post on social media and notify customers that we are attending. We also try to set up times with current customers.
Procopio: We have an amazing PR and marketing team that keeps our network informed about our show attendance, booth location and any and all sessions we may be speaking at. PDI is headlining two speaking engagements at this year’s NPGA. Nick Quaratiello is part of a panel discussion on technology adoption and I’m running a session on understanding your market geographically. We also have some really cool swag!
Jaffe: 1) Pre-event planning and outreach — we are advertising our participation at the event across multiple formats, both digital and physical; 2) Eye-catching booth design and experience; 3) Engaging and approachable staff — we host live demonstrations at our booth, and this year will be hosting a breakfast in the conference center to explore cathodic protection monitoring to ensure protection of your underground assets. This will be a panel discussion and will feature industry leaders in governance, tank manufacturing and technology. For further information, please visit Mopeka at booth 204, and mark your calendars to attend the session on Saturday, April 5 at 8 a.m.; 4) Interactive and value-driven engagement — on the expo floor and after-hours functions; 5) Lead capture and follow-up plan.
Uphaus: We try to reach out to attendees ahead of time to encourage them to come by our booth and also work to have an engaging display so that it encourages attendees to stop by.
Riddler: We leverage technology to enhance attendee engagement and maximize interactions at our booth. One key strategy is using poker chips embedded with QR codes. Attendees can scan these codes to access and complete a survey, which seamlessly integrates their responses into our system. This approach not only captures valuable data efficiently but also adds an interactive and memorable element to the experience.
Kenney: Our booth will feature engaging experiences, live demos of our latest products and lots of Q&A. We're also utilizing digital tools like QR codes for quick access to resources and offering giveaways designed to spark meaningful conversations.
