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2024 Mississippi Damage Prevention Summit
Once again almost 400 industry professionals made the
journey to Biloxi to attend the Mississippi 811 Summit, the premier damage prevention event in the state! This annual event since 2008 continues to draw stakeholders from across
the state to discuss the challenges in an environment that lends itself to solutions based on mutual trust and respect for each other.
What made this year’s event so memorable? Perhaps, it was a couple
of things. First, this year was the first year for the Mississippi Locate Rodeo. An event was created especially to honor a group of professionals who largely are under-appreciated. The 2024 Overall Champion of the Rodeo is Brad Sumrall, Magnolia Brothers, walked away with the first-place prize of $1,000 cash. Volunteers, competitors and spectators alike had a great time, and plans are already in the making for next year’s competition. The second reason for the success of the 2024 Summit was the people. The speakers and topics were well received as the sessions were
packed. The attendees were engaged throughout the event. Thanks to all of you for making this be a part of your schedule each year
I’ve learned that when you bring people together with a common goal and create the environment for a “no judgment zone” way of thinking, exciting things usually happen. It all began to pop from the first day. Mississippi 811’s staff has to be one of the hardest-working groups of professionals in the country.
Keeping up with and staying ahead
of the underground projects was just one of the hot topics discussed at this year’s event. Dynamic and informative speakers led the audience to redefine issues and make new friends. If you’re the excavator, the locators may become your new friend and of course, if you’re the locator, maybe we need to try to better understand the pressures placed on the excavator. We’re going to see a lot more of one another over the upcoming weeks and months, so it would make sense to work together to help one another be more successful.
This year’s exhibit hall was hopping. First-time vendors as well as first-time attendees made the Summit explode with energy and kept it fun and easy to learn. That’s really the purpose
of the Summit in the first place. Bring stakeholders together to share perspectives and experiences to create a better path for public safety and the protection of underground utilities... and do it together as a team!
Our 2024 Sponsors included: Platinum; Mississippi 811 and Progressive Partnering, Gold; 811 Magazines and USIC, Silver; Benchmark Subsurface Utility Services, Kinder Morgan
and Rust-Oleum, Bronze; BOSS811, CenterPoint Energy, Compliance Envirosystems, Utility Training Academy, and Vermeer MidSouth, Drink Sponsor; Locate Point and Reception Sponsor; Miller Pipeline.
Exhibitors for the 2024 Mississippi 811 Summit were: 811 Magazines, Badger Daylighting, Benchmark Subsurface Utility Services, Bermex, Inc, BOSS811, CenterPoint Energy, Columbia
6 • Mississippi 811 2024, Issue 4