This ConExpo article was published in Construction Equipment Guide (CEG) on March 20, 1996. This and other ConExpo articles to follow will be part of a continuing series that take a look back at ConExpos past through the reporting of CEG. We hope you enjoy these retros as much as we did searching for them deep in our archives.

When the 1,140th exhibitor signed on for a 100-square-foot display, ConExpo-Con/Agg '96 surpassed 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space and in the process became the largest North American construction show ever.

“The 1.2 million net square feet was a dream a couple of years ago when the ConExpo-Con/Agg partnership was original envisioned,” said Dennis J. Slater, exposition director. “The enthusiasm our industries have shown toward the show has made that dream a reality.”

“The facilities at the Las Vegas Convention Center are stretched to capacity to accommodate our show,” said Kenneth R. Tobin, also exposition director.

ConExpo-Con/Agg '96 is the first-ever joint show between the Construction Industry Manufacturers Association (CIMA), sponsor and producer of ConExpo, the huge international construction equipment exposition, and the International Concrete and Aggregates Group (ICAG), producer of Con/Agg, one of the premier concrete and aggregates shows in the United States.

Since the inception of the ConExpo-Con/Agg partnership, only Comdex the computer industry exposition, has surpassed 1.2 million square feet of exhibits. The totals for number of exhibitors and exhibit space are record totals for either ConExpo or Con/Agg. In addition, ConExpo-Con/Agg '96 will be the world's largest event in 1996 for these industries.

Because of its size, ConExpo-Con/Agg '96 has expanded to the newly created Landmark Exhibit Area located just across from the Las Vegas Convention Center on Paradise Boulevard. ConExpo-Con/Agg '96 will be the first exposition to make use of the new Landmark Exhibit Area, formerly the site of the famous Landmark Hotel which was demolished November 7, 1995.

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