Making its return to Las Vegas March 14-18, 2023, the world’s largest collection of construction equipment and ideas, as well as North America’s largest trade show, CONEXPO-CON/AGG (Conexpo) has officially sold all available exhibit space, guaranteeing the 2023 event will be the biggest in its history.
Nearly five percent bigger than the record set in 2020, this year’s Conexpo will feature over 130,000 attendees, over 1,800 exhibitors across 2.8 million square feet (indoor and outdoor) and more than 175 education sessions—making this a can’t-miss event for construction professionals, especially those making company-level decisions, and/or those needing professional development hours.
Despite being the largest Conexpo of all time, however, recent additions to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) will make it the easiest to get around as well. Beneath the entire LVCC campus runs the Convention Center Loop, an underground transportation system designed by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, which will transport convention attendees throughout the campus in under two minutes in Tesla vehicles, free of charge.
Above ground, the Festival Lot returns for 2023 as the biggest outdoor display area, featuring earthmoving and lifting (aerial and crane) equipment. It’s also better connected to the rest of the show via the brand-new West Hall and Diamond Lot, which were under construction during the 2020 event.
Vast Educational Track
For those returning to Conexpo, the experience can still be a bit breathtaking, and for first-timers, it can be borderline overwhelming. All the more reason to familiarize yourself with as much of the event as possible before arriving onsite. The Conexpo website does a good job of laying out the basic infrastructure and then unpacking the event details within. Even still, the sheer scope and scale of the in-person experience can take anyone by surprise.
It doesn’t hurt to spend some time on YouTube and/or digging through related sites or resources to get a good feel for what to expect, and develop a plan for the week. That said, part of your preparation should involve experiencing parts of Conexpo’s vast educational track—the leading source for contractors, business owners, construction material producers, and end-users to obtain cutting-edge information for today’s challenging economy and marketplace.
Superbly designed to allow attendees to experience panels, discover ideas, and create lasting connections within the construction community, enabling both personal and professional growth, nearly 200 sessions covering the latest topics and industry trends are grouped into tracks for ease of location, including:
- Aggregates: Current methods and trends in quarry production and plant design.
- Asphalt: Techniques and innovations in asphalt paving, recycling, materials, and plant management.
- Concrete: The latest practices and advances in concrete materials, masonry, production, and plant management.
- Cranes, Rigging & Aerial Lifts: Innovations, regulations, and safety in crane, rigging, and aerial lift operations.
- Earthmoving & Site Development: Current business and equipment practices for heavy equipment contractors.
- Equipment Management & Maintenance: The latest fleet asset management and maintenance trends.
Additionally, new this year are a Business Bootcamp and a Leadership Series that include recommended sessions on Strategic Decision Making for Increased Margins, Financial Essentials for Non-Financial Leaders, and How to be a Construction Leader Worth Following, among other tailored courses.
One such course will be presented by NBIS’s Concrete Pump Manager, Kyle Rask, titled Marijuana: Navigating State and Federal Regulations—set for Thursday, March 16, from 9:30–10:15am, in the West Hall, 201-202.
Within his presentation, Kyle will do a deep dive on current legalization efforts across the U.S., accessibility and tax revenue within applicable states, ease of use, and how to approach and navigate this new landscape.
Part of that navigation, Kyle explains, includes understanding how a company’s substance policy needs to accommodate federally regulated employees and the rest of its staff to align with how marijuana is defined and authorized from state to state—which will likely involve re-thinking driver education, company culture, and even workers’ compensation, among other internal processes.
Along with Kyle’s session, attendees can locate any additional session(s) they might want to attend within Conexpo’s educational track right here. — With nearly 200 sessions, there is something for every business type and topic of interest, and we hope you have an extremely productive week at Conexpo 2023. We look forward to seeing you there!
