Pit & Quarry • March 2023 • What producers will find at ConExpo-Con/Agg

The 2023 trade show season is in full swing, and the granddaddy of them all is finally here.

That show, of course, is ConExpo-Con/Agg. Returning March 14-18 to areas in and around the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), ConExpo-Con/Agg promises to deliver new equipment and technology for aggregate producers to explore. Learning opportunities will be aplenty, too, with more than 175 education sessions available to ConExpo-Con/Agg goers.

ConExpo-Con/Agg also presents an opportunity for industry stakeholders to catch up with their peers. Based on how COVID affected the last ConExpo-Con/Agg, exhibitors and attendees alike are bound to catch up with people they haven’t seen in years.

“Attendance at shows has been booming post- COVID, so we anticipate a packed house,” says Ken Albaugh, director of sales, rental and equipment at Xylem. “I expect attendees will be eager to network, learn and ‘touch and feel’ the many different solutions and technologies that will be showcased.”

For producers, ConExpo-Con/Agg presents a platform to glean ideas that can transform a business for years to come.

“2023 will be a year where we reshape the industry and help businesses and equipment owners do better in all facets of their work,” says Terry Dolan, vice president of North America at Case Construction Equipment. “ConExpo is just the start.”

Dana Wuesthoff, vice president of exhibitions and event services at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) who serves as ConExpo-Con/Agg show director, says attendees can expect to find more than 2.7 million sq. ft. of displays and demonstrations from more than 1,800 exhibitors.

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

AEM also expects an increased international presence at the show. Among the largest groups of international registrants late last year were Canada, Australia, the UK, Mexico and New Zealand.

ConExpo-Con/Agg will feature several infrastructural additions from the 2020 show. The largest of those additions is the new West Hall and the connecting Diamond Lot on the site of the old Gold Lot. AEM says the new West Hall adds 1.4 million sq. ft. of indoor space.

Also new to ConExpo-Con/Agg is the LVCC Loop, an underground transport system that will make stops at South Hall (providing access to both f loors of South Hall), Central Hall (allowing attendees to also access North Hall) and the Diamond Lot (providing access to West Hall).

ConExpo-Con/Agg and the co-located IFPE (the International Fluid Power Exposition) unveiled 10 finalists in their inaugural Next Level Awards program honoring exhibiting companies that are pushing boundaries and developing next-level products, technologies and services designed to advance the construction industry.

John Deere’s JD18X industrial diesel engine, Holcim’s ECOPact low-carbon concrete and Continental’s AG smart conveyor management system are among the products to make the top 10.

“We were overwhelmed by the response to our call for submissions for this inaugural event, and we’re excited to recognize these innovative construction products that are taking the industry to the next level,” Wuesthoff says.

The top product will earn the Contractors’ Top Choice award. ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE attendees will have the opportunity to vote for the award March 14-16 during the co-located shows.

According to AEM, a panel of Associated General Contractors (AGC) members selected the finalists in the Next Level Awards program.

“The Next Level Awards are a great showcase of the innovation taking place across the construction marketplace,” says Stephen Sandherr, CEO of AGC. “We are excited to be a part of ConExpo-Con/Agg and to play a role in bringing these leading-edge solutions to the industry.”

Pit & Quarry ramped up its pre-show coverage of ConExpo-Con/Agg months ago with a dedicated webpage featuring content at pitandquarry.com/conexpo2023.

Keep up with the magazine’s coverage there and look for our ConExpo-Con/Agg-dedicated e-newsletters that will be packed full of the latest developments in equipment and technology for producers. If you don’t already receive Pit & Quarry e-newsletters in your inbox, sign up at pitandquarry.com/subscribe.

Next Level Awards finalists

ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE (the International Fluid Power Exposition unveiled 10 finalists for their inaugural Next Level Awards program. The finalists will be exhibiting at the co-located trade shows March 14-18 in Las Vegas. They include:

Turin, Witt to talk shop at show

Dave Turin, a star of Discovery’s “Gold Rush,” will join BuildWitt’s Aaron Witt in the new Community Zone at ConExpo-Con/Agg for a conversation about the industry.

According to ConExpo-Con/Agg, the Community Zone is an area in the Festival Grounds where show goers can network, grab refreshments and participate in different events.

“The Community Zone is the kind of area attendees have been asking for,” says Dana Wuesthoff, show director of ConExpo-Con/ Agg. “It’s a place for construction pros to recharge their devices and recharge themselves, all while still being able to continue learning and enjoying their experience at ConExpo-Con/Agg.”

Turin and Witt will be in the Community Zone on the opening day of the show (March 14) from 1-2 p.m.

“It’s good to come back to ConExpo-Con/Agg,” Turin says. “I learn so much every time I come, and I’m proud to lend my own experience and story to the thousands of construction pros that come each time.”

“Dave is such a great voice for the construction and mining industries,” he says.

“His story, having grown up in his family’s quarry business and then turning to fulltime mining – and all the equipment involved in both businesses – has given him a lot of unique experience I can’t wait to help share at ConExpo-Con/Agg this year.”

In addition to Turin and Witt, Dirt Bags Podcast hosts Luke Eggebraaten and Luke Payne will join the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ John Somers for “Drinks with Dirt Bags” in the Community Zone March 16 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Also, Cojali USA will host a talk on “Overcoming Off-Highway Repairs: The Future of Maintenance” March 17 from 3-3:45 p.m.