Last week's inaugural International Concrete Sustainability Conference, Latin America, in Medellin, Colombia, was a huge success, attracting over 200 attendees and speakers from around the world. The conference, sponsored by NRMCA and the Iberoamerican Federation of Ready Mixed Concrete (FIHP) is an expansion of the popular International Concrete Sustainability Conference hosted by NRMCA since 2006 throughout the United States and the Middle East.

The conference provides learning and networking opportunities on the latest advances, technical knowledge, continuing research and solutions for sustainable concrete manufacturing, design and construction. NRMCA Chairman Bill Childs (seen here) was on hand to present as a keynote speaker during the opening general session of the conference. Other world renowned speakers included:

• Francesco Biasioli, general secretary of the European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization, Italy

• Cesar Constantino, process and quality manager at Titan America, Panama

• Lionel Lemay, senior vice president of sustainability, NRMCA, United States

• Julie Garbini, executive director of the RMC Research & Education Foundation, United States

• Angela Bejarano, consultant to the U.S. Green Building Council Texas Chapter, Colombia

• Cristina Gamboa, executive director of the Colombian Council of Sustainable Construction, Colombia

• Shiraz Tayabji, expert on concrete pavement and sustainability, United States

• Jeremy Gregory, executive director of the Concrete Sustainability Hub, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

• Carlos Forero, CEO Asogravas, Colombia

• Jorge Solano, technical director Costa Rican Institute of Cement and Concrete, Costa Rica

• Mohamed Mahgoub, assistant professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology, Egypt

• Douglas Ruhlin, environmental consultant, United States