AEM’s Wuesthoff previews the next ConExpo-Con/Agg

Dana Wuesthoff, vice president of exhibitions and event services at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), paid P&Q a visit to discuss what attendees can expect at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023 from March 14-18 in Las Vegas.

ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023 will feature 2.7 million sq. ft. of exhibits. Photo: P&Q Staff

What should attendees expect at the upcoming ConExpo-Con/Agg?

Attendees at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023 should expect 2.7 million sq. ft. of displays and demonstrations from more than 2,000 exhibitors. Just as important, attendees should expect the biggest gathering of construction and aggregates professionals in the Western Hemisphere, which means the biggest networking and business growth opportunity in the industry. ConExpo-Con/Agg isn’t just about big iron. ConExpo-Con/Agg is also about taking the construction industry as a whole to the next level by putting the best minds, ideas, technologies and strategies all in one place for everyone in the industry to explore and find that one business or career-changing thing they didn’t even know they were looking for.

The last time the show took place, COVID-19 was just ramping up. What are your expectations regarding participation for next year? Are you expecting the companies that opted out of 2020’s show to return in 2023?

The 2020 edition of ConExpo-Con/Agg was an unusual experience as it was happening when the initial impacts of the COVID pandemic were starting to become understood in the U.S. For the first time in show history, the show closed down a day early. What didn’t appreciably change about ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020, however, were the attendees and exhibitors gathering together.

For 2023, we’re expecting both attendees and exhibitions to break records, both because the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) has grown, making more exhibits possible, but also because the construction and aggregates industries are hands-on, in-person industries.

Wuesthoff

More fundamentally, because of COVID-19, how will trade shows be reshaped going forward?

The question of how the pandemic and the resulting societal and technological changes it has brought will affect trade shows in general is something we think about on a daily basis at AEM. Ultimately, how the pandemic impacts trade shows is going to come down to what value those trade shows provide in the first place.

We’re very fortunate to hold trade shows where gathering together, in person, provides a lot of value both to attendees and exhibitors. No matter how good virtual and video technology gets, these technologies and pieces of equipment get interacted with in a very hands-on way. That doesn’t mean things can’t – or won’t – change for us.

With the show’s large footprint, what’s being done to connect its further-off points?

While the 2023 show is expected to be bigger than any previous ConExpo-Con/Agg, it will also be easier to get around because of the LVCC Loop. That project will allow [attendees] to get around underneath the LVCC via Tesla cars in tunnels.

Additionally, the addition of the West Hall and Diamond Lot, both of which were also under construction in 2020, will significantly shrink the gaps between exhibits. Finally, shuttles will still be available to get attendees around.