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Tue February 01, 2022 - National Edition #3
Nearly 37,000 construction professionals gathered in Nevada Jan. 17 to 20, 2022, for the 47th annual World of Concrete show at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). The event marked the return to a more traditional mid-winter date after the scaled down 2021 version of the show was moved to June due to Covid concerns.
Promoters of the show were upbeat about both the crowds and the extent to which the event and industry are returning to pre-pandemic standards.
"The level of engagement from companies of all sizes and corners of the industry was very encouraging, especially following the past couple challenging years, and points to the revival of the trade show industry and continued growth of the construction and masonry sectors," said Jackie James, group director of World of Concrete. "We are thrilled with the positive feedback we've received from our community, buyers and suppliers alike, and look forward to seeing a wealth of new business partnerships and industry innovation resulting from this week's event."
This year's affair occupied more than 632,000 sq. ft. of the recently expanded LVCC, with heavy equipment primarily housed in the new West Hall.
Exhibitors in the west hall included Caterpillar, John Deere, Case, Wirtgen, Gomaco, Doosan, Bobcat and a host of other industry leading brands. Other exhibitor categories included manufacturers and distributors of equipment, tools, products and services for the commercial construction, concrete and masonry industries.
In addition to the expo, registered attendees could choose from a multitude of diverse educational sessions, according to the James.
"Year after year, industry professionals flock to World of Concrete for its highly regarded education and the unique opportunity to garner technical certifications to help professionals navigate this complex industry. This year was no different; we were pleased to see meeting rooms packed with engaged attendees bouncing ideas off peers — it is admirable to witness this industry's continued ambition to grow and share ideas," she said.
Technological advancements benefitting contractors were easy to find at the show as well. Among many other demos, Topcon showed off its new machine control for compact excavators.
"Based on the Topcon MC-X machine control platform, MC-Mobile offer the user experience and competitive performance benefits of full-size machine control guidance solutions for compact excavators, skid steers and compact track loaders," according to Topcon spokesman Oscar Cantu.
According to show officials, trends from the 2022 event include, but were not limited to:
A record $1.74 million was raised by the Concrete Industry Management program through its silent and live auctions. The CIM program helps provide students with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management, according to information from the show.
World of Concrete returns to Las Vegas next year for its next show, Jan. 16 to 19.
For more information, visit worldofconcrete.com. CEG
(All photographs in this article are Copyright 2021 Construction Equipment Guide. All Rights Reserved.)