GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The National Association for Pupil Transportation launched its 33rd Annual Conference and Trade Show here over the weekend.

The event got rolling with vocal performances by students from a local school district, followed by an inspirational keynote address from entertainer Mack Dryden.

Dryden, a cancer survivor, has performed stand-up on The Tonight Show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno. He drew on these experiences Sunday night, when he served as emcee for the NAPT Awards Banquet. Dryden turned the banquet into a sort of talk show, sitting down with presenters and award winners to uncover their stories.

The conference’s first round of workshops took on a variety of topics. One detailed the different technologies being considered by engine manufacturers in meeting the EPA’s 2010 emissions requirements. A key challenge will be in attaining the mandated 83-percent reduction in NOx emission.

Another workshop outlined the progress and plans of the American School Bus Council, which was launched at last year’s conference. Officials said that the council will reprise the “Love the Bus” campaign, which helped promote pupil transportation nationwide in February. The council will also continue to seek federal funding for the industry, with a goal of $300 million by the end of the council’s third year.

Also on the agenda were several courses in the NAPT Professional Development Series. The courses covered such subjects as routing and scheduling, accident investigation, and procurement and budget management. One course was an eight-hour overview of all aspects of contemporary pupil transportation.