In 1986, VAA and VDOT hosted the first asphalt technical conference in Richmond. Minutes from that meeting showed the support for the conference and the need for it to continue in 1987. Fast forward 30 years to 2016 and the Fall Asphalt Conference is still going strong. This year’s conference had a new location and an expanded format that included a keynote address from Mr. C.J. Potts – President of Milestone Contractors, LP in Indianapolis, Indiana – along with other honored speakers, including Aubrey L. Layne Jr. – Secretary of Transportation for Virginia – and Mr. Charlie Kilpatrick – VDOT Commissioner. The first day of the conference focused on bigger picture transportation issues while day two was developed for the technical side of the industry. All presentations from the Fall Asphalt Conference can be accessed on the VAA website at www.vaasphalt.org.

 

The size of the conference has grown significantly over the years. This year’s conference had more than 400 registrations for the two-day conference. Attendees were from asphalt producers, paving contractors, materials and service providers, VDOT, FHWA, consultants and municipalities. In addition to the normal two-day Fall Asphalt Conference, a Fall Asphalt Expo (see next article for details) was held, as well as a drawing for a Yeti cooler donated by James River Equipment to support the VAA Scholarship fund.

 

Overall, the 30th Annual Fall Asphalt Conference and 1st Annual Asphalt Expo were a huge success due to the efforts of the Asphalt Expo Committee. The 2017 Fall Asphalt Conference will be held October 2 and 3 at the Richmond Marriott-Downtown. We hope to see you there!