Sources: Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Milwaukee; CP staff
Eyeing new technologies, products and equipment, along with networking and education opportunities, heavy building materials and construction industry segments converged on the Las Vegas Convention Center and nearby Festival Grounds for ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020 and the co-located International Fluid Power Exposition, March 10-13.
The Tuesday-Friday events saw registrations exceed 130,000. Final attendance figures will reflect international and domestic attendee cancellations, plus show management’s decision to wrap up one day earlier than the scheduled Saturday close, as businesses and individuals took stock of White House responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and unfolding travel restrictions. Key metrics, nevertheless, underscore ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE 2020 quality compared to their 2017 editions:
- Overall contractor and producer attendance grew by 14 percent;
- U.S. buyer participation increased 8 percent, while total buyer attendance improved nearly 5 percent; and,
- Attendees purchased a record 75,622 education session tickets, up 46 percent.
“Giant machines, incredible exhibits, fantastic education and huge expectations[:] Organizers of ConExpo-Con/Agg have a legacy of building and innovating on previous shows, and the 2020 gathering extends that record of success,” says Mary Erholtz, vice president of Marketing at Minnesota-based conveyor manufacturer Superior Industries. “This has been one of the best editions of ConExpo-Con/Agg ever. Exhibitors across the show, from the Festival Grounds to North Hall to Bronze Lot to South Hall, expressed enthusiasm for the tremendous engagement they received from contractors and producers looking to purchase equipment.”
“We had more people the first day than all of the 2017 show. Tuesday for us was record breaking in terms of leads and attendance at our booth,” adds Doosan Bobcat President Mike Ballweber, whose company gauges show success on opening day traffic.
“The crowd was much better than expected under the circumstances and most importantly, the right buyers were on the show floor,” notes HydraForce Inc. Global Marketing Manager and IFPE Show Chair David Price.
Mindful of growing Covid-19 virus concerns, show management worked with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and Southern Nevada Health District to make sure attendees, exhibitors and vendors were provided with heightened cleaning services and hand sanitizers to help reduce the spread of germs and foster healthy exhibit and education session participation.