ConExpo 2023 Will be the Largest Show to Date
The iconic North American tradeshow is sold out, and shaping up to be
bigger and better than ever.
Just five months after shutting down and packing up their stands at the
Bauma tradeshow in Germany in October, construction equipment manufacturers
have regrouped and are prepping for another huge show, ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023 in
Las Vegas.
With expanded exhibition space already sold out, there are huge hopes
for the American show. ConExpo 2020, which was shut down a day early due to the
looming Covid-19 pandemic, was a general success, but caused extreme stress on
exhibitors and attendees.
But all that is in the past and the 2023 show is shaping up to wipe out
any bad memories. Recognized as the largest trade show in North America,
ConExpo had officially sold all available exhibit space as of early December
2022, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, (AED), show
planner. The 2023 edition of ConExpo will be the largest in history.
“The addition of the new West Hall and Diamond Lot at the Las Vegas
Convention Center gave us, and our exhibitors, a number of new opportunities to
show how we are taking the construction industry to the next level,” said Show
Director Dana Wuesthoff. “Now at 2.8 million square feet of exhibits, there’s
more for construction pros to see than ever before.”
Like Bauma was a little different in October, ConExpo will be different
too. Manitowoc Cranes will not be officially exhibiting, although some of its
distributors will be showing its cranes. Back in October, Manitowoc President
Aaron Ravenscroft told ACT that the company had chosen to put its resources
into Bauma, rather than ConExpo.
“I think first and foremost, the timing was too difficult to do two
shows in a world-class fashion,” he said. “For us, it was driven by the
timing.”
On the flip side, American companies and equipment manufacturers with
American subsidiaries that didn’t participate at Bauma intend to make a big
splash in Las Vegas.
Bigger and better
The show, now nearly five percent bigger than the record set in 2020,
will feature 1,800 exhibitors and 150 education sessions. More than 150,000
people are expected to attend the show and ultimately buy equipment.
Wuesthoff said that despite being the largest ConExpo ever, recent
additions to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) will make it easier to
navigate. Beneath the entire LVCC campus runs the Convention Center Loop, an
underground transportation system designed by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company
that transports convention attendees throughout the campus in under two minutes
in Tesla vehicles, free of charge.
“We are excited to welcome ConExpo-Con/Agg back to Las Vegas for
another record-setting event,” said Brian Yost, chief operating officer of the
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which owns and operates the LVCC.
“The addition of the West Hall and the Convention Center Loop will only further
enhance the ‘Only Vegas’ experience for attendees and exhibitors.”
Registration pace doubles
Construction pros are ready for the show to return as well. The current
pace of attendee registration is nearly double what it was at this time for the
2020 show, AEM reported. If you have not registered, the sooner you do the
better.
“This is the event that construction professionals, especially those
making company-level decisions, and those needing professional development
hours, can’t miss,” said Show Chair and Caterpillar Senior Vice President Phil
Kelliher. “Seeing the new equipment and techniques on a screen doesn’t compare
to seeing it all in person. At the show, you can see the equipment, ask
questions of the manufacturers themselves and really understand what the
equipment and education can do for your career and business.”
