EVENTS

NECA Convention & Trade Show

September 12 - 15, 2025

The NECA Convention & Trade Show will soon be in Chicago! -- September 12 - 15, 2025

Early-Bird pricing ends on July 25th!

This means that early registration and housing for the NECA Convention will close on Friday, July 25th - two weeks earlier than previous years. Once that deadline passes, room availability and pricing cannot be guaranteed.

Among the many other NECA Convention events, education, general sessions, a special NECA activity is highlighted below:

Jerry McGlynn, McWilliams Electric Company, Inc. is to be acknowledged as an Academy of Electrical Contracting Inductee during the September 13 General Session.

Chicago Chapter Events                  

For those Chapter members that attend the NECA Convention, the Chicago and Cook County Chapter functions are listed below. For each event, transportation is on own.

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Open Night – 7:00 pm

However, the Chapter has a number of reservations available for dinner at a number of area restaurants.  

Sunday, September 14, 2025 (Joint Chapter Reception / Dinner with Northeastern IL NECA)

7:00 pm: Reception

8:00 pm: Dinner

The Planetarium

1300 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive - Chicago, IL 60605

Monday, September 15, 2025 (Pre-Closing Event Reception)

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm  

Reception (cocktails and heavy hors d'oeuvres) Navy Pier (TBD) - 1000 E. Grand Avenue - Chicago, IL

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION.

2025 ECA Summer Social

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

First Lady Tours -- 112 E. Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, August 6, 2025, as we have a wonderful evening planned aboard the Classic Lady!

6:00 pm: Arrive Dockside

6:15 pm: Boarding Begins/ Open Bar Service 

6:30 pm: Cruise Commences/ Appetizers and Dinner Buffet

9:30 pm: Disembarkation

Program highlights include:

• Skyline Commentary Architecture Tour aboard the Classic Lady
• Food, Beverages, & Networking
• Fireworks
• Tremendous Views of the City Skyline

All ECA Members, their spouses, and guests are welcome to attend this end-of-summer event!

*For parking information please click here!

**Recommended dress attire is business casual / summer attire. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

EDUCATION

ECA Educational and Conference Stipends for 2025

The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Executive Committee has approved a number of educational stipends for many special programs / conferences throughout 2025. All stipends / reimbursements are made after each conference with registration confirmation(s) and applicable receipts forwarded to ECA.  

CLICK HERE FOR LISTING

NECA SAFETY PROFESSIONALS INSTITUTE

Oct. 28 - 30, 2025

Washington, DC

Designed for new safety professionals in the industry, this program provides participants with the “must know” topics for those responsible for keeping our workers safe.

LEARN MORE!

New Publications in the NECA Store

NECA has collected, analyzed and interpreted hundreds of data points, so our members can use these crucial reports to develop strategies, optimize processes, and improve decision-making, leading to better outcomes and a competitive advantage in the market. 



CLICK HERE for the latest additions to thestore.

NECA Business Development Information

NECA is updating its Business Development contact list for 2025! This list will be notified about Business Development resources, events and exclusive sessions. Please complete this short form and let NECA know the Business Development contact person(s) for your company. 

Complete Business Development Contact List Form >>

Document Crunch

Contractors who sign up for the service will have exclusive access to an ELECTRI-specific solution through Document Crunch’s innovative platform.

Watch Demo Video



If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Nancy Sheehy at nsheehy@documentcrunch.com.

Sign Up for Access

Unlock the Power of Document Crunch:

We will be hosting your next office hours session on Thursday, August 7^th, 2025, at 12:00 PM CT. Kindly encourage your members to attend—especially those who have not yet begun utilizing Document Crunch.

👉 Register for the August 7^th Office Hours

ELECTRI Updates

Important Research Surveys 

ELECTRI invites you to participate in two new important surveys related to new ELECTRI research. To view all current surveys and participate in ongoing research efforts, please visit the ELECTRI Research Engagement Hub. Your engagement is essential in shaping the future of our industry.

Materials Management Practices Survey:

Building on the ELECTRI OUTGAME study on materials management, we invite you to complete this survey on current Materials Management Practices. The goal is to understand how construction professionals plan, order, and track materials; where the pain points exist; and how much time these activities consume on a daily basis. Your insights will help quantify the potential return on investment for modern materials management solutions and highlight the greatest opportunities for improvement across the electrical contracting industry. Contact the researcher, Hala Nassereddine, with any questions at hala.m.nassereddine@gmail.com.

Survey Link:  https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3OTv9Xoj2TAoJWC

Fleet Management Survey:

We invite you to participate in an important research study aimed at identifying best practices in fleet management for electrical contractors. Your valuable insights will help us develop benchmarks and actionable strategies to enhance fleet efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and overall management. This survey is intended for fleet managers, finance professionals, or anyone in your organization responsible for managing or overseeing fleet operations and budgeting. The survey typically takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.

Survey Focus:

The survey includes questions regarding detailed financial and operational aspects of your fleet, such as:

• Fleet composition and vehicle roles
• Fleet leasing versus ownership decisions
• Fleet maintenance and fuel expenses
• Fleet cost as a percentage of revenue
• Vehicle allowances provided to employees

Please complete the survey at your earliest convenience by clicking the link below:

https://okstate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0v1EpAYYsLBOhTg

If you have any questions or wish to schedule an interview following the survey, contact the researcher, Amy King Lewis, at Amyking.lewis@okstate.edu

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ECIC Judges Needed:

Ten NECA Student Chapters are competing in ELECTRI’s 2025 Electrical Contracting Innovation Challenge (ECIC), and now it's time for our industry leaders to get involved. We’re looking for volunteers to serve on the ECIC jury — reviewing student proposals and helping select the top three teams who will present live at the NECA Convention in Chicago.

If your schedule doesn’t allow you to participate, feel free to share this opportunity with a colleague.

To learn more or volunteer, contact Laura Holmes at Laura.Holmes@electri.org

NECA/ELECTRI PM Apprenticeship Update:

The NECA/ELECTRI Project Management Apprenticeship is officially halfway through its first year—and we hosted a live webinar earlier this week to share what we’ve learned so far. This one-hour session gave a real look at how NECA members are training project managers from within. Be sure to watch the webinar to learn how you can take advantage of this program or click here to find out about the apprenticeship.

Project Manager Apprenticeship Update: Watch the recording here.

May Recap

Read what you missed last month in our May recap. It is full of information on ELECTRI activities during April.

May Webinars: Best Accounting Practices -

In case you missed our April webinars here is your chance to watch them!

Council Room Session: What is the Ideal Project Environment in 2025

It & Coffee: AI Best Practices and IT Considerations

We’re excited to share two newly released ELECTRI research publications, each designed to help electrical contractors address pressing challenges and plan for the future:

🔹 Understanding, Identifying, and Measuring Rework: Rework can be costly, time-consuming, and difficult to quantify. This new interactive report — led by ELECTRI Researcher Hala Nassereddine — helps contractors identify the root causes of rework, establish processes to measure its true impact, and implement practices to minimize it on future projects.

📘 Explore the full interactive report 

🔹 Artificial Intelligence Implementation Roadmap for Electrical Contractors:

AI is no longer a distant concept — it’s a practical tool ready to be integrated into construction workflows. This roadmap outlines a step-by-step strategy to evaluate, adopt, and scale AI technologies specific to electrical contracting.

📘 Read the full roadmap



Both studies are based on contractor interviews, real-world case studies, and practical tools to apply in your business today. We encourage you to review and share these resources with your teams.

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

ELECTRI International and American Apprenticeships Work have partnered to offer a national Project Management Apprenticeship program! The NECA/ELECTRI Project Management Apprenticeship provides aspiring electrical project managers with the technical expertise, leadership abilities, and business acumen needed to work on large-scale electrical projects successfully. Click Here for more information.

ELECTRI appreciates your assistance with this research. If you have any questions about the research, please contact Amanda Harbison, ELECTRI’s Director of Research, at Amanda@electri.org.

ELECTRI International Quick Links

ELECTRI Meetings         ELECTRI Research        Business Coaching       

Council Room Sessions        Research Engagement Hub       PM Apprenticeship Program  

ConTech & Coffee/IT & Coffee       Think Like A Leader     AI Toolkit

Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention

It is an unfortunate fact that construction has the highest rate of suicide of any industry in America. We lose about 53 out of every 100,000 members of our industry EVERY YEAR to suicide. We are four times the average of other industries. We have a crisis in construction and we need to do something about it. You can visit the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention website and learn more. We urge all to take the pledge to STAND UP for suicide prevention and address it as a health and safety priority.

CLICK HERE FOR A "Stand Up for Suicide Prevention" Information Sheet.