Countdown

ConExpo-Con/Agg will open next month with the industry and attendees enjoying signals of market strengths and business prospects absent in the prior two shows, 2008 and 2011. Concrete plant and fleet equipment manufacturers are set to arrive in Las Vegas with renewed optimism for market improvement. Producers are on track to make the rounds at the Las Vegas Convention Center better positioned for capital investment than they have been in nearly a decade.

The 2014 show already covers a record-breaking 2.3 million net sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor exhibits, and IFPE 2014 has achieved record status with 165,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space. However, show management stresses that quality, not size, is the goal. A strategic alignment with needs of the industry has led to programs and events geared toward helping attendees and exhibitors achieve the most value out of their time at the shows.

“Attendees will find the newest products and technologies and technical experts ready to discuss product features and applications. In the space of a few days, in one place, visitors can examine and compare the best of what our industries have to offer,” says Megan Tanel, ConExpo-Con/Agg show director and AEM vice president exhibitions and events.

“Attendees will also find the focused industry education, with the latest techniques and information, they need to run their businesses most efficiently. The opportunity to share experiences and ideas with industry peers adds another dimension to the show experience,” adds Melissa Magestro, IFPE show director and AEM senior director exhibitions.

On the ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014 show floor, a new Demolition & Recycling exhibit pavilion, sponsored by the Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (C&DRA), will showcase exhibits and products specific to C&D recyclers and demolition contractors.

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) brings back its Technology & Construction Solutions pavilion for contractor software providers, finance and leasing companies, insurance providers, and related suppliers of contractor business solutions.

IFPE 2014 features exhibit pavilions from PTDA, the Power Transmission Distributors Association, and for sensors manufacturers and product suppliers.

International exhibit pavilions at both shows reinforce the global scope of the events and offer attendees access to a wider range of companies and product options. To date, the shows have eight official country pavilions: IFPE with China, Italy and Taiwan; ConExpo-Con/Agg with China, Germany, Ireland, Korea and United Kingdom.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG FILE PHOTO: Oscar Einzig Productions for AEMCONCRETE EDUCATION
Comprehensive education programs at ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE 2014 will help attendees conveniently sharpen their professional skills and improve their businesses’ efficiency and productivity, all vital to stay competitive in the marketplace. Industry experts will share the latest operational techniques and management strategies, with sessions offered at varying times throughout the shows for attendees to maximize their time onsite.

ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014 education offers 120 sessions across 10 tracks to target the full range of attendee interests, including concrete, aggregates, equipment management and maintenance, safety & regulations, recycling & preservation, earthmoving & site development, business management best practices, workforce development, asphalt, and cranes & rigging.

The Concrete track features 13 sessions, March 4-7:

TUESDAY, MARCH 4
Control and Prevention of Concrete Cracking, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.; presenter: Tim Cost, Senior Technical Service Engineer, Holcim (US) Inc., Waltham, Mass.

Troubleshooting Concrete Surface Defects: Causes, Prevention, and Cure, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; presenter: Michelle Wilson, Concrete Knowledge Director, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.

Concrete Overlays for Highways, Local Roads, Streets and Parking Lots, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.; presenters: Jon Hansen, Senior Director–National Resources, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; Michael Ayers, President, Global Pavement Consultants, Inc., Fithian, Ill.

Concrete Pavement: How to Get the Biggest Bang for the Buck in Street/Local Road Applications, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.; presenter: Brian Killingsworth, Senior Director of Pavement Structures, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.

PHOTO: Oscar Einzig Productions for AEMWEDNESDAY, MARCH 5
Who’s Responsible? The Addition of Responsibilities to ASME B.30.27, the Safety Standard for Concrete Pumping, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.; presenter: Robert Edwards, Product Line Manager, NationsBuilders Insurance Services, Atlanta.

Concrete Surface Defects: Causes, Prevention, and Cure, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; presenter: Michelle Wilson, Concrete Knowledge Director, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.
Design and Construction of Concrete Parking Areas, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.; presenters: Amy Miller, Senior Director of National Resources, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; Tim Cost, Senior Technical Service Engineer, Holcim (US) Inc., Waltham, Mass.

THURSDAY, MARCH 6
Driver and Job Site Safety — Something We Can All Live With, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.; presenters: David Conklin, Ready Mix Driver, Cemex, Phoenix; Lance Morgan, Ready Mix Driver, Cemex, Phoenix; Lee Hoffman, President, National Safety Products.
“Crack” the Code On Your Concrete Delivery Ticket, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; presenter: Ken Hover, Professor, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
Ten Tremendous Tales of Pervious Concrete, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.; presenter: Matthew Offenberg, Technical Services Manager, W.R. Grace & Co., Canton, Ga.

Recent Advances in the Design and Construction of Roller-Compacted Concrete
Pavements, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.; presenters: Brian Killingsworth, Senior Director of Pavement Structures, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; Corey Zollinger, Director of Paving Solutions, Cemex, Houston; Wayne Adaska, Pavements Director, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.

ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014 Las Vegas Convention CenterFRIDAY, MARCH 7
Innovations in Steel Fiber Construction, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.; presenter: Cary Kopczynski, Senior Principal and CEO, Cary Kopczynski & Co., Bellevue, Wash.
Performance Screening of Concrete Materials and Proportions using Thermal Testing, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; presenter: Tim Cost, Senior Technical Service Engineer, Holcim (US) Inc., Waltham, Mass.

“In addition to the exhibits on the show floor, this is where our attendees find the knowledge they need to better run their businesses and increase their ROI,” says AEM’s Megan Tanel. A new education ticket plan allows more flexibility for attendees to choose sessions onsite, she adds, noting that allied industry groups will also offer training and certification programs in conjunction with the shows.

Registration continues for ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014. The co-located ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE expositions will be held March 4-8, 2014, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.