What started as a joke turned into something so much more. That seems to be the theme for the team behind the Plumbing Hacks and Plumbing Professional Discussions (PH&PPD) Facebook group.  

Launched in 2012 to make fun of bad plumbing jobs and hacked repairs, the private group now has more than 60,000 members consisting of trade professionals who share “an intense passion for the plumbing industry” and discuss “every facet of the trade from application, training, tips, tricks, new tools, new products, and techniques.” 

Shortly after the group’s launch, seven founders and members of the highly engaged online community decided to have a small in-person meet up, where the idea for the first official Plumbing Hacks Conference & Expo was born. 

“When we first started this event, it was kind of just like, ‘Hey, let’s have fun, drink, be merry and talk plumbing,’” said Bryan Hammons, founder of the PH&PPD Facebook group and president of Sewer and Drain Pros in St. Petersburg, Florida. “Now it’s turned into, ‘How can I, as a small business owner, help another small business owner?’ And, ‘Hey, this guy has a 10-truck shop. We have a five-truck shop. How do I get to 10 trucks?’”

Now in its ninth year, the 2024 Plumbing Hacks Conference & Expo was held at the Tradewinds Island Grand Resort from May 1-4 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. The event gathered more than 250 attendees and was filled with fun networking opportunities, business and educational classes, and a trade show featuring around 30 vendors. 

‘Chicken Lady’

Although we weren’t able to attend the first day of business and educational classes and manufacturer presentations, we heard from Hammons and several attendees that the highlight was Kathy Nielsen, “The Chicken Lady.” Nielsen, a well-known professional speaker with more than 20 years of experience in the service industry, discussed the importance of rewiring your brain from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. 

“She was really helpful as far as what she shared about setting procedures and helping keep things organized,” said first-time conference attendee Lori Schaefer of Stars and Stripes Plumbing in North Port, Florida. 

During Day 3, we sat through informative product demos and presentations from manufacturers and organizations such as Hammerhead Trenchless, Dancutter, ASSE International, Essency and Nuflow. Our favorite part of the day, though, was a discussion on the state of the trades led by Viega’s Will Schott. Attendees shared their experiences with demand in different markets, thoughts on the rise of private equity mergers and acquisitions, average rates per ticket and the importance of optimizing prices and efficiencies, and strategies for tackling the labor shortage such as building relationships with local communities and schools. 

“I’m a young guy and don’t really know what I’m doing, so every little bit helps,” longtime show attendee Gary Larsen of InSink Plumbing in Carol Stream, Illinois, told us after the discussion. “Everyone does everything differently. Anything you can implement to help your business — go for it.”

The next day, the event ended with its trade show, featuring manufacturers such as Taco Comfort Solutions, Navien, and Zoeller. Of course, it wouldn’t have been the Plumbing Hacks Conference & Expo without the drinking and camaraderie that has been around since its inception. Throughout the four-day event, there were two parties and a dinner celebration, which Hammons said is where attendees gain the true “golden nuggets” of wisdom from simply talking to one another over a cold one. Indeed, many attendees noted the show’s laidback, personal nature was their favorite aspect of the event. 

“We have a little over 60,000 members in our Facebook group, but I want to keep the trade show aspect of it small because it gives you a different feel,” Hammons said. “You’re spending more time networking, and you get more intimate conversations out of that versus running around a large trade show.”

And although Hammons has no plans to drastically increase the size of the event, he’s certainly looking forward to seeing how the attendees themselves continue to grow. 

“It’s just really fun to watch the relationships flourish,” Hammons said. “We have about a 90 percent return rate every year. It’s cool to see those people who eventually go from a one- or two- truck shop to a 10- or 15-truck operation.”