VIDEO: Construction Industry Gathers in Big Way at ConExpo 2020
Wed March 18, 2020 - National Edition CEG
Multiple construction and construction materials industry segments converged on the Las Vegas Convention Center and Festival Grounds as they came together for ConExpo-Con/AGG 2020 to unveil new technologies and products, share knowledge, network with industry peers and buy equipment.
Registrations for the show totaled more than 130,000. At the conclusion of the show, cancellations from international attendees totaled less than 1 percent.
"We refer to ConExpo-Con/AGG as the ‘heavy metal' show, but it's more than that," said Mary Erholtz, vice president of marketing of Superior Industries and ConExpo-Con/AGG 2020 show chairperson. "It's also small equipment, education and technology. And that was reflected in every way this week. Giant machines, incredible exhibits, fantastic education and huge expectations. Organizers of ConExpo have a legacy of building and innovating on previous shows, and the 2020 gathering extends that record of success. This has been one of the best editions of ConExpo — ever."
Exhibitors across the show, from the Festival Grounds to North Hall to Bronze Lot to South Hall, expressed enthusiasm for the tremendous engagement they received from contractors and producers looking to purchase equipment.
According to IFPE Show Chairperson David Price, global marketing manager of HydraForce Inc., "The crowd was much better than expected under the circumstances and most importantly, the right buyers were on the show floor. We were very pleased with the strong showing from the 300-plus exhibitors at IFPE 2020, and we are looking forward to the 2023 show."
Mike Ballweber, president, Doosan Bobcat echoed those sentiments.
"Tuesday for us was record breaking in terms of leads and attendance at our booth, which is how we measure how successful the show is for us. We had more people to our booth on the first day than all of the 2017 show. This is a once-every-three-years show, and our dealers and customers were really excited to be here."
With growing concerns about COVID-19, show management worked closely with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Southern Nevada Health District to make sure exhibitors, vendors and attendees were provided with heightened cleaning services and hand sanitizers to help reduce the spread of germs and enable show participation to stay healthy on site at the show.
"We have been pleased with the success of the overall show and attendance in our booth," said Ingo Schiller, president and CEO of Tadano America Corporation. "The management team at ConExpo has been monitoring the situation and they made a very difficult decision to close the show a day early. We appreciate their leadership and we look forward to ConExpo-Con/AGG 2023."
Key metrics of the show included:
U.S. buyer attendance increased 8 percent from the 2017 show, and total buyer attendance improved by almost 5 percent;
Overall contractor and producer attendance grew by 14 percent;
6-out-of-7 attendees serve in a decision-making role;
Total registered attendance reached more than 130,000 for the week; and
Attendees purchased a record-breaking 75,622 tickets for education sessions at the show, a 46-percent increase from the 2017 show.
At the same time, the technological change revolutionizing these industries was pervasive across the show's record 2.7 million-plus net sq. ft. of exhibits featuring 2300-plus exhibitors from the leading U.S. and global manufacturers, from multi-national giants to small firms with specialized products.
Other highlights included:
Partnership with women in construction groups to highlight the growing role women play in the industry, including the unveiling of the world's largest 3-D printed statute of a human to honor the growing role women play in the construction industry;
Workforce solutions area in the Festival Lot that showcased industry recruitment best practices.
The Tech Experience returned for a second year and focused on modern mobility, sustainability and smart cities.
The first-ever Fluid Power Hour for the co-located IFPE show, which featured an opportunity for engineers to network with their peers on the show floor.
