Bobcat is celebrating 50 years of equipment innovation with a contest for its customers. The How Bobcat Unleashed Me Contest asks users to share how Bobcat equipment has helped them in performing work better, smarter and faster.

Some 50 years ago, Minnesota turkey farmer Eddie Velo asked blacksmith-inventor brothers Cyril and Louis Keller to build a self-propelled loader light enough to be lifted to the second floor of Velo's turkey barns and small enough to clean around the poles that supported the floor above. In 1958, North Dakota-based Melroe Manufacturing Company, which later became Bobcat Company, partnered with the Keller brothers. This partnership led to the creation of the skid-steer loader and, over time, the compact equipment industry.

In 2008, Bobcat will commemorate the partnership between Melroe Manufacturing and the Keller brothers that created a world-class company which has unleashed generations of customers, in every imaginable market, from the drudgery of hard labor.

To enter, equipment users need to write a brief essay about their experiences with Bobcat equipment and fill out an entry form at the Bobcat 50 Years Unleashed website, www.bobcat.com/50. The grand prize winner will receive a $75,000 Bobcat gift certificate, good for products or attachments of the winner's choice at a designated Bobcat dealership in North America. In addition, five second prize winners will receive $1,000 gift certificates, good for products or attachments of the winners' choice at designated Bobcat dealerships in North America. Ten third prize winners will receive a Bobcat jacket, and 50 monthly winners will receive the Limited Tailgate Edition of the book Bobcat: 50 Years of Opportunity, 1958–2008. Weekly winners will receive a Bobcat 50th Anniversary hat. The grand prize winner will be selected from the weekly winners. Contest ends on May 30, 2008.

A new planning tool is available for this year's CONEXPO-CON/AGG attendees that will help navigate the hundreds of thousands of feet of exhibit space more efficiently. The websites of the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and co-located IFPE 2008 expositions feature an interactive "Virtual Trade Show" (VTS) that attendees can use to find the companies and products of most interest to them and assemble a customized itinerary of how they want to spend their time at the shows.

The VTS capabilities have been expanded since the shows were last held, and a new interactive "Map Your Show" floorplan feature has been added. CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and IFPE 2008 will be held March 11–15, 2008, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, USA.

The shows' VTS and floorplan maps are searchable by hall location, booth number, company name, type of product, and trade names. Attendees can make the most efficient use of their time on site by using the sites' My Show planner to map out booth locations, make appointments with exhibitors, and schedule education sessions and meetings. Attendees will be able to access and modify their My Show planner on site at special product locators on the show floor.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE attendees can also use the show websites to register in advance for the exhibits and education programs, make hotel reservations and obtain travel assistance. Also available is a free subscription to an industry e-newsletter covering the latest issues, trends and technologies as well as the show updates.

Exhibitors also have a special section on the websites to help them manage their show participation. Services include registration and housing assistance and access to the exhibitor services manual and marketing kit materials. And, exhibitor education is offered online through live webinars and pre-recorded webcasts.

Visit CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE online at www.conexpoconagg.com or www.ifpe.com.

The Work Truck Show 2008 will offer an all-day Special Session: Hybrid Truck & Alternative Fuels Summit on Monday, Feb. 25. All show attendees will have the opportunity to test drive new hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles at the Hybrid Truck & Alternative Fuels Ride-and-Drive on Tuesday, Feb. 26, and Wednesday, Feb. 27. Two more vehicles were recently added to the lineup, bringing the total available for test drives to 14. Participating companies are: American Alternative Fuels; Chelsea Products Div. of Parker; CleanFUEL USA; DUECO Inc.; EATON Hybrid Power Systems; Freightliner Custom Chassis; Freightliner Trucks; General Motors Fleet and Commercial Operations (with two vehicles); International Truck and Engine Corp.; Kenworth Truck Co.; Modec Electric Vehicles; and Peterbilt Motors Company. The Ride-and-Drive is sponsored by EATON Hybrid Power Systems. The Summit is sponsored by International Truck and Engine Corp. The Work Truck Show 2008 is held in conjunction with the 44th Annual NTEA Convention Feb. 26–28, 2008, in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, visit www.ntea.com.