Sources: CP staff; Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Milwaukee
Concrete plant equipment manufacturers, mixer truck body builders and fellow exhibitors enjoyed solid booth traffic, quote inquiries and order activity at the 2017 ConExpo-Con/Agg, some telling Concrete Products the March 7-11 event was the best such show to date. Confidence in the business climate and prospects for stepped up infrastructure investment, fueled by President Donald Trump, permeated the Las Vegas Convention Center gathering, which encompassed the flagship show and co-located IFPE 2017.
“I think there is a noticeable difference in the attendees at this show, and the difference is their optimism,” said 2017 Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Chair Michael Haberman (Gradall Industries) as five days of exhibits and education sessions concluded. “Optimism was on display throughout, and traffic was excellent.”
“This has been one of the best editions ever,” affirmed 2017 ConExpo-Con/Agg Chair Rich Goldsbury (Doosan Bobcat). “Exhibitors [wrote] sales at an incredible pace, and attendees clearly came to Las Vegas to buy.”
“These are not tire-kickers,” added Volvo CE Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications Dave Foster. “These are people who are willing to buy multiple machines for work they have now and anticipated growth based on a renewed confidence in the market.”
The 2017 ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE spanned 2.8 million square feet and a record 2,800-plus exhibitors, and saw attendance near 128,000 for the week. Among key metrics AEM cites in comparison to the shows’ early-March 2014 staging, also in Las Vegas: U.S. and total buyer attendance figures climbed 16 percent and 8 percent, respectively; overall contractor and producer attendance grew 10 percent; and, attendees purchased a record-breaking 52,000 tickets for education sessions, a 26 percent increase.
Concrete fleet and plant equipment were concentrated in the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall and Bronze Lot (top).