For more than 10 years, World of Concrete has been the host of unique, wide-ranging, and informative early morning exchanges on how to improve the quality of our industry. Breakfast with Experts, BWTE, sponsored by Master Builders Solutions, continues to provide an opportunity for construction professionals to ask questions of a panel of construction technology experts on a range of concrete construction, restoration, and repair topics. The informal setting and open dialogue over a coffee and a light breakfast encourages a free flow of ideas from the panelists and audience alike.

The discussions focus on how to solve the common problems and the not-so-common challenges faced by contractors, concrete producers, and design professionals. Attendees benefit from each expert’s insight when discussing a possible solution. Each panelist has decades of service in our industry and is supported by Master Builders Solutions’ wide range of research and testing for projects around the world for more than 100 years.

I encourage you to join us at Breakfast with the Experts in June.  Each session’s content differs as the topics are solely based on attendee questions. There are two sessions each day. The first session begins at 6:45 a.m. ending in time to allow you to get to your morning seminar. The second sessions start at 8:15 a.m. concluding just as the show floor opens.

Following last summer’s sessions, I shared a cup of coffee with two of the Master Builders Solutions breakfast panelists. We spoke about their experiences over the last decade. Both Mark Bury, FACI, Product Manager and Will Gold, P.E., FACI, Engineering Services Manager, have exchanged ideas with nearly a thousand of fellow breakfast attendees.

The continuing need for education

Bury said his Breakfast with the Experts experiences reminded him of the importance to continue educating the industry on general concrete technology. “Every year there are new participants in our industry, and we should not take for granted that everyone is at the same knowledge level. The knowledge shared at Breakfast with the Experts and at World of Concrete in general helps the entire industry know more and get better.”

Bury zeroed in on one common concrete topic. “Each year at Breakfast with the Experts the subject of concrete cracking seems to be a common theme. There continues to be a need to discuss mitigation steps we can all take to minimize, eliminate and repair concrete cracking.”

Gold added that the sessions reminded him that good communication goes a long way to improve quality and productivity. “We always have great dialog during the breakfast because there is always a diverse group of people in the room.  There are contractors, engineers, suppliers, inspectors, and even a few curious homeowners that attend every year. Getting the right people connected is so important and yet seems to not happen enough. So, when you bring a group together during an event like this, it seems we can always find solutions to those challenges. That is why I always look forward to this event and the reason why I am so excited to get back to the World of Concrete.”

Creating Innovation

Since each session is an open exchange of information, the Breakfast is actually about sharing of information, I was interested in learning in what the experts took away from the interactions.

Bury had a direct answer. “Based on construction ideas and problems discussed during past BWTE sessions, Master Builders Solutions has begun providing a regular schedule of ’Let’s Talk Concrete!’ free livestream education sessions throughout the year on topics related to concrete production and placement. Just like Breakfast with the Experts, we have included plenty of time for lively Q&A at the end of each livestream session. Whenever you can include a wide variety of experts with extensive technical, business, and practical field experience, a broad perspective and context can be applied to the topic at hand.”

Gold’s takeaway was that many questions during the Breakfast have focused on the need to improve the speed of construction. “We all know that anything we can do to help build better and faster is going to have an impact. These types of issues have really pushed us to think about everything from how to reduce the number of joints in concrete slabs to how can we more quickly apply protective coatings over new concrete.  The breakfast discussions provide us real-time feedback on challenges that are slowing things down on the jobsite so that we can eliminate them or speed them up.”

How to be a part of these industry education offerings

Registered World of Concrete attendees can either sign-up for individual sessions or purchase a three-day package. Breakfast with the Experts will occur Tuesday, January 18, Wednesday January 19, and - Thursday January 20. You can choose from two start times, 6:45(1) or 8:15 am (2).  Individual sessions have a registration fee of $50; $60 after 12/13/21. Or you can purchase a3-day package for savings

Registration for $120; $149 after 12/13/21

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 If you can’t be at World of Concrete, you can brew your own coffee and be a part of the Master Builders Solutions “Let’s Talk Concrete!” free livestream education sessions that happen monthly throughout the year.  Many of the same experts who you meet at the Breakfast with the Experts lead these interactive sessions on topics related to concrete production and placement.