CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE 2011 a Huge Success
Words: Dan Kamys The mood was overwhelmingly positive at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE 2011 expositions held March 22-26 in Las Vegas. Despite continued uncertainty in U.S. construction markets and the overall economy, industry professionals expressed hopeful optimism for a sustained U.S. upturn in the coming months, while global sales continue to be strong. CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE 2011 attracted nearly 120,000 registered attendees; the shows were the global industry gathering place for the year and the largest gathering in North America since 2008 for the construction, construction materials and fluid power/power transmission/motion control industries. The shows were held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
A record number of more than 860 co-located events, educational programs and pre-planned meetings were held with the shows, plus dozens more meetings scheduled onsite. Co-locations included ICON Expo for the concrete products industry and several annual conferences of national industry associations.
Quality Attendance, International Scope
International registrations accounted for a record 24 percent of the total, representing more than 150 countries. CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011 and IFPE 2011 were among a select group invited to participate in the U.S. Department of Commerce International Buyer Program, which facilitates the participation of international visitors. The shows hosted 42 official international customer delegations from 37 countries, organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as well as in-country associations and related groups.
On the Show Floor
More than 2,400 exhibitors occupied 2.34 million net square feet of exhibit space. IFPE was the largest ever, and CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s exhibit space was the second largest in the show’s history.
Reinforcing the global scope of the shows were 10 international exhibit pavilions - IFPE with pavilions from China, Italy and Taiwan, and CONEXPO-CON/AGG with pavilions from China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain and United Kingdom.
IFPE 2011 featured exhibit pavilions from the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) and the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA), as well as an exhibit pavilion which highlights the expanded presence of sensors manufacturers at the show. CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011 featured the IT & Business Solutions pavilion, sponsored by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Educational Opportunities
Industry-focused education was an important component of the show experience, and there were a record number of education, training and certification programs offered. More than 80 allied associations and groups were official show supporting organizations, coming from the U.S., Canada and more than a dozen countries worldwide. They promoted the shows’ value and brought qualified buyer groups to the events, and many helped develop direction and content of the shows’ education programs to ensure they met industry needs.
Looking Ahead
The next edition of the triennial CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE expositions will be held March 18-22, 2014, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas.