CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and the co-located IFPE 2008 expositions have set records for attendance, exhibit space and number of exhibiting companies. In addition, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 is the largest trade show in North America of any industry in 2008.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE are known as global showcases of the latest equipment, product innovations and technological advances for the construction, construction materials and power transmission industries.
More than 144,600 industry professionals from around the world attended CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and IFPE 2008 during their five-day run March 11-15, 2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, USA.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 covered more than 2.28 million net sq ft of exhibits, taken by 2,182 exhibitors, and was 21% bigger than the last show, held in 2005.
IFPE 2008 was also the largest in its history with more than 129,000 net square feet of exhibit space used by 469 exhibitors–a 16% increase in space compared with 2005.
International Attendance
A record number of international industry professionals visited the shows–more than 28,000, which is more than 19% of total attendance and represents more than 30% growth compared to the last edition of the shows. International attendance increased by more than 50% from the Latin America and Caribbean marketplace, and doubled from China, India and Turkey. There were also significant increases from Canada, Australia, Russia and the Middle East, to name just a few.
International visitors to the shows hailed from more than 130 non-U.S. countries. There were more than 60 official international customer delegations organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as well as in-country trade associations and related groups.
Exhibit Features
The show floor included a record number (14) of international exhibit pavilions highlighting products and services developed outside the United States-CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 with 10, from Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom, and IFPE 2008 with four, from China, Italy, Spain and Taiwan.
IFPE 2008 hosted a new exhibit pavilion sponsored by the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA), welcomed back a Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) pavilion, and set up a new pavilion to highlight the expanded presence of sensors at the show.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 featured a new Safety Zone of exhibits and demonstrations from industry and government groups, including the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the Aerial Work Platform Training/International Powered Access Federation.
Education Highlights
The CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 seminar program offered a record 130 sessions. Show education expanded in 2008 to include a special seminar on best practices for small fleet management. Also new: select education sessions were offered via LiveCasts and podcasts to extend the value of show education. Education session registrations totaled more than 22,850.
IFPE 2008 also expanded its educational offerings with an electronic controls symposium added to the show’s renowned Technical Conference. The conference offered a record 111 papers from industry experts from around the world. A new IFPE Innovation and Solutions Center, on the show floor, provided real world insights into future design applications. IFPE education session registrations totaled more than 1,700.
Industry Support
The shows were the industry gathering place in 2008. Some 105 allied industry groups were “supporting organizations" of CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and IFPE 2008, bringing their memberships to the shows. In addition to U.S-based groups, these included international industry-related organizations from Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom and Venezuela.
A record number of 11 associations held annual conventions or board meetings at the shows, and overall a record number of more than 530 industry-related meetings were held in conjunction with CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and IFPE 2008.
Other Highlights
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 hosted a visit by Admiral Woody Sutton, the U.S. Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services, on March 12. Sutton toured the show and met with show officials and exhibitors to discuss global trade issues.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 was also the site of the first ever Construction Challenge competition, initiated by show organizer Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The creative problem-solving competition was designed to interest teens in construction careers, while calling attention to industry workforce shortages and infrastructure renewal needs.
The next edition of the triennial shows will be March 22-26, 2011 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, USA. Check online for details: www.conexpoconagg.com, www.ifpe.com.
