The largest construction expo in the mid-Atlantic states is fast approaching!
On March 11 and 12, 2003, CEG Productions, the trade show division of Construction Equipment Guide, will present its fourth construction trade show at the Fort Washington Expo Center, just 15 mi. north of Philadelphia.
The show will feature more than 70,000 sq. ft. of indoor exhibit area, plus a huge static outdoor area.
Exhibit booths are filling up quickly. At press time, more than 50 percent of exhibit space is filled, with more booths being reserved every day. (For more information on exhibiting or attending, call Sheila Kirby, CEG’s show coordinator, at 800/523-2200.)
Deer Creek Equipment, with locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, has already signed up to exhibit in this year’s show, marking the first time the Oxford, PA-based company has exhibited at the show. The John Deere dealer is looking forward to some serious exposure to contractors up and down the mid-Atlantic region.
“The main reason we’ve chosen to display at the show is because John Deere manufactures pull-type scrapers and they have not had a great deal of exposure with this product. And as the designated scraper dealer for our geographic area, which is Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware, we’ve elected to be in the show,” said Gary Sorrelle, sales consultant of Deer Creek Equipment.
Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel Inc., headquartered in Voorhees, NJ, also will be making its first appearance at the show, with both an indoor and outdoor exhibit.
“The show gets a lot of people out of the woodwork in the winter,” said Dann Cheney, sales and leasing coordinator of Hale Trailer. “I came from another trailer dealership and they participated in the show, and I saw what a great venue its was. It draws a lot of people from Baltimore and all the way up from New York State. It’s a great way to get exposure.”
Curry Supply, based in Currysville, PA, has exhibited at the Philadelphia Construction Expo since its inception in 1998. Jason Ritchey, director of sales and marketing of Curry Supply explains why his company plans to exhibit again in 2003.
“There will be a lot of potential customers from Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Virginia that will be there,” Ritchey began. “It’s been a well-attended show where good, qualified customers attend. And CEG markets the show really well. What’s also great about the show is that it’s short [two days] and to the point.”
With three hugely successful shows in 1998, 2000 and 2001 under its belt, CEG is poised to make the 2003 edition bigger and better than ever. The Expo Center is expected to house more than 150 booths. There, regardless of what your contracting firm specializes in, you’ll be able to check out all the latest equipment by every manufacturer in the industry. What’s more, guests can speak face to face with all the major distributors that serve the northeast corridor.
This year’s trade show will feature a backhoe rodeo with prize money totaling $5,000. For all you operators out there who want to begin practicing for the event, here are the five competitions that you’ll have to master if you want be called the champion:
• The Pipe Drop — The operator must lift two cylinders, one at a time, using a tooth on the bucket and placing each over a metal post. Time will stop when both cylinders are in place and the bucket is returned to the start position.
• Backhoe Bowling — The operator will start with the backhoe bucket resting on the ground at a full stop right. The operator then moves the boom left, picks up a ring with a tooth, lifts and swings to knock down the pins. Then the operator must return the chain and tooth to the start position and boom to the start position.
• Backhoe Basketball — The operator starts with the toothed bucket on the ground in a designated square. Then the operator must pick up balls off of traffic cones and drop them into a bucket placed near the cones.
• Egg in the Nest — The operator starts in the center position, moves the bucket to the right, picks up the egg from the sand pile, then moves the bucket to the left where he or she deposits the egg in the tire with the straw “nest.”
• The Backhoe Sand Trap — The operator picks up a golf ball from the sand trap with a special tooth on the bucket, swings the boom and drops the ball into a coffee can.
CEG’s 1998 Expo was the largest construction equipment trade show ever held in the mid-Atlantic states at that time. Approximately 6,000 guests visited 150 exhibitors, despite terrible weather that almost flooded the place out. What’s more, approximately $26 million of equipment was on display and many exhibitors reported excellent sales and rental activity immediately following the Expo.
The 2000 Construction Expo featured an appearance by the Swedish Bikini Team, which most exhibitors and visitors reported as having dramatically brightened the Expo Center.
The 2001 show provided an intimate atmosphere that allowed attendees and exhibitors plenty of opportunities to talk one-on-one to find solutions to their equipment needs.
All the latest makes and models of equipment were showcased, including Blaw-Knox, Caterpillar, Case, Hamm, Hitachi, John Deere, JCB, Kawasaki, Kubota, New Holland, Vermeer, Volvo and Wirtgen.
The greatest Philadelphia Eagle and Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik attracted a crowd as he signed autographs in the Construction Equipment Guide booth. He also shared stories of his days as a star player for the home team.
Numerous prizes and giveaways highlighted the two-day event in 2001. One lucky winner, Mike Ciaccio of B&M Landscaping, went home with more than $250 from the Creative Financial Group.
If getting the scoop on hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cutting-edge equipment that will help you do your job more productively and efficiently interests you, then you’ll want to start making plans now to attend. And if you’re a manufacturer or distributor on the East Coast, you won’t want to miss out on the chance to strut your stuff to thousands of potential customers.
This story also appears on Truck and Trailer Guide.
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