MEP Force 2021: Reflections from the Denver Block Party

It was a beautiful, warm evening to have an open-air get-together, and King of Wings was the right kind of place to do it. Every event planner realizes that you never know what you’re going to get when you let someone else choose a venue, particularly the quality of the food. But kudos to Michael Schinn of eVolve MEP (a BBQ master himself): this place was a big hit, with the best flame-grilled wings anywhere (Thai was my favorite), local craft beer and enormous, decadent cookies.

Granted, the Atlanta Block Party had its food-network-caliber, former executive chef Steve Couch of BIM Designs, Inc. preparing sumptuous chicken and fish. But give me a plate of gooey, sauce covered wings, some onion rings and a giant peanut butter cookie topped with chunks of peanut-butter cup, and I’m in foodie heaven.

And maybe the best part of all – when you’ve got a group of MEP folks involved, you know the people who join the party are going to be fun and friendly. I’m not a plumber, electrician, HVAC professional, or trade contractor – although I do know the difference between cement and concrete. So, when a couple of guys threw out the term “Klo-shur,” and I didn’t know what they were talking about, they were nice enough to spell it for me (see below).

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If you missed the MEP Force 2021 or the Block Parties in Atlanta, Austin or Denver, you can get a quick recap of day 2 by watching this video on LinkedIn.

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During the evening, there was a pleasant camaraderie, a wee bit of shop talk, good natured banter, lots of smiles, stories of being indestructible, and full stomachs. From the laughter and live interviews to that fabulous pink flamingo shirt that Nathan Wood was wearing, the vibe at the Denver Block Party was outstanding.

Just a quick shoutout to RK Mechanical and their guy Victor, who slammed the competition in the 2-minute wing-eating contest. I talked with him afterward, and not only does he love wings, he has a heart for the MEP industry. I appreciate that dedication, especially as the industry is attracting fewer and fewer people from the emerging workforce.

To get an idea of the perspective of our newfound friends during the MEP Force 2021 Denver Block Party, I asked people what they are looking forward to in 2022. Here are some of their unedited responses:

• Family time
• Back to normal
• International travel
• Ease
• A happy life
• eVolve MEP sticky Klo-Shur clamps
• Getting married
• Broncos in the playoffs (oh yeah, and Aaron Rodgers playing for the Broncos)
• Hunting trip
• Career advancement
• Combination of at-home and in-person events
• Focus on fitness and travel
• Climbing fourteeners
• More personal interaction
• Moving to Salida, CO
• Visiting more factories in person
• And finally … MEP Force 2022 (and a wings rematch)!

Hey, my feelings exactly! We’re looking forward to the 2022 conference when we can all meet in person again. See you then.

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If you missed MEP Force 2021, or if you would like to access on-demand some of the breakout sessions you missed, go to the MEP Force 2021 agenda.

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