ATSSA Signal Sept/Oct 2018

American Traffic Safety Services Association 10 will be selected based on their innova- tion and level of impact on the industry. The innovation awards participants will be pulled directly from the New Prod- ucts Rollout. Also new next year, the Young Profes- sionals in Transportation (YPT) will hold an ATSSA Traffic Talk. YPT is an interna- tional nonprofit made up of a group of organizations, that helps young profes- sionals in the transportation industry with professional development and net- working. ATSSA recently put together a task force of staff and members to be- gin the planning of a YP program. Many great ideas came from those first few meetings and we expect to roll out more information and some new YP initiatives starting a convention in 2019. For more information, visit expo.atssa.com Meetings & Conventions ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo: The industry event for roadway safety Where the latest in technology, roadway products, and all things safety come together In 2019, ATSSA will host its 49th Annual Conven- tion & Traffic Expo on Feb. 8–12 at the TampaConvention Center in Florida. The event draws nearly 3,500 in- dustry professionals every year to view the latest innovative products in road- way safety on the exhibit floor, partici- pate in education sessions, and attend numerous networking events that bridge communication gaps between private and public sectors. ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo is the top event in the roadway safety industry. The 2018 event broke records: there were 3,464 registered event attendees and 567 booths were sold—making it the largest expo in the association’s history. There were also nearly 200 companies exhibiting. “This is the convention and expo for the roadway safety industry and our theme for next year’s event—Innovate. Influ- ence. Inspire.—really speaks to that,” said ATSSA Director of Meeting & Con- ventions Necoya Tyson. “ATSSA’s goal is to provide an opportunity for profes- sionals from every facet of the industry to come together and address key issues and share their knowledge so we can advance together. While ATSSA provides opportunities to accomplish this in oth- er forms, this is the chance to innovate, influence, and inspire.” The 2019 event will feature numerous events including the General Session for Committees, Opening General Session, committee and council meetings, ATSSA’s Circle of Innovation, Solutions Edition, the 2019 Traffic Control Device Challenge (held in partnership with the Transpor- tation Research Board), and more than 35 education sessions that address key issues in the roadway safety industry. ATSSA will also be bringing back busi- ness sessions, after their successful de- but in 2018. At the 2019 event, ATSSA’s New Products Rollout will bemoving to the exhibit floor. The event allows exhibitors the oppor- tunity to showcase their products by bringing them to the New Products Roll- out Staging area and present their ben- efits to attendees. These presentations will be scheduled throughout the day. The ATSSA Innovation Awards will be held again in Tampa. Three winning products