Network and Learn with Others in the Industry

NFPA is committed to serving our member companies through a menu of services that fits a wide range of needs and interests. Through this variety of services, we continue to serve and enhance value for a diverse membership from across the industry.

Grow Your Network at an NFPA Event

Diversity in membership means better networking at our events. In 2020, all of our events and committee meetings have continued in a virtual format, each organized to maximize the networking potential of virtual platforms.

Moving forward into 2021, NFPA will continue to monitor developments and restrictions related to in-person gatherings and travel and will plan for a return to full in-person programming as soon as it is safe to do so. The first step back toward in-person programming will take place in conjunction with the 2021 Annual Conference, taking place February 24-26, 2021, which is set to offer both a virtual and in-person experience.

• Attendees who opt for virtual-only will have access to the conference presentations, networking platform and entertainment activities.
• Those who register for the in-person Power of Association event will also have complete access to the virtual content as well as additional in-person networking opportunities during the duration of the conference at the Omni Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Power of Association event is designed to offer those who feel comfortable traveling a more typical Annual Conference experience. Attendees will be able to watch Annual Conference presentations and interact with speakers from their hotel rooms each morning, come together for in-person networking lunches and receptions and gather informally at the property.

Registration for both the virtual only and the in-person event (which will adhere to COVID-19 protocols) is now available. Learn more and register here.

For NFPA/FPIC Quarterly Conferences, the virtual format throughout 2020 resulted in an exponential increase in participation while still maintaining an interactive experience, making them a staple of fluid power community participation. NFPA/FPIC Quarterly Conferences combine information-rich technical presentations and networking to offer an exclusive quarterly experience. These conferences help NFPA and FPIC members to meet others in the industry while also taking home actionable insights into new technologies described in the NFPA Technology Roadmap.

The 2021 series of conferences will kick off on March 4, 2021. Presentation slides and recordings from past events are available here.

Build and Share Your Expertise

In addition to networking and learning at events, members also get the opportunity to share and grow their expertise with other like-minded professionals through committees and special-interest groups.

Standards development committees have been particularly active. The work of ISO/TC 131, fluid power systems, has continued to progress in a virtual format this year. Currently there are 234 published standards, nine subcommittees and 27 active working group committees.

The ISO/TC 131 committee focus continues to be on energy savings. Themes that have come up from discussions include that:

• Efficient system design is key.
• Steady state power losses can be quite significant in both pneumatic and hydraulic systems.
• Good system design and project management are critical for energy efficiency.

Other active committees and groups available to members include the Technology Roadmap Committee, Future Leaders Network, and IFPE Management Committee. Learn about these and other committee opportunities here.