Conexpo-Conagg 2008 set new record
March 17, 2008
Conexpo-Conagg 2008 set new record
Las Vegas -- At 3:00 pm on Saturday March 15, 2008 the 2008 rendition of Conexpo-Conagg ended and teardown started. The countless hours of preparation for the show became historical records that would be used for the 2011 version of the show.
One of the interesting statistics that had been spread during the show was that 78 miles of carpet had been laid over the 3-million square feet of exhibit space. Well, 145,000 attendees did their best to wear it out. Navigating the endless miles was more challenging than trying to cope with Atlanta or Los Angeles traffic. At least in traffic you could sit and you do have all that protection around you in the form of a car. Not so in the LV convention center, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday and Friday morning the rumored 78 miles of carpeted aisles were jammed.
According to AEM, host of construction equipment extravaganza, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and IFPE 2008 set records for attendance and exhibit space and is the
largest trade show in North America of any industry in 2008.
More than 144,600 industry professionals from around the world attended the five-day show, March 11-15, 2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, USA.
How big is big? CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 covered more than 2.28 million net square feet of exhibits (211,966 net square meters), taken by 2,182 exhibitors, and was 21 percent bigger than the last show, held in 2005. IFPE 2008 was also the largest in its history with more than 129,000 net square feet of exhibit space (11,994 net square meters) used by 469 exhibitors – a 16 percent increase in space compared to 2005.
International Attendance
A record number of international industry professionals visited the shows – more than 28,000, which is more than 19 percent of total attendance and represents more than 30 percent growth compared to the last edition of the shows. International attendance increased by more than 50 percent from the Latin America and Caribbean marketplace, and doubled from China, India and Turkey. There were also significant increases from Canada, Australia, Russia and the Middle East, to name just a few.
International visitors to the shows hailed from more than 130 non-U.S. countries. There were more than 60 official international customer delegations organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as well as in-country trade associations and related groups.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 featured a new Safety Zone of exhibits and demonstrations from industry and government groups, including the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the Aerial Work Platform Training/International Powered Access Federation.
Education Highlights
The seminar program offered a record 130 sessions. Show education expanded in 2008 to include a special seminar on best practices for small fleet management. Also new: select education sessions were offered via LiveCasts and podcasts to extend the value of show education. Education session registrations totaled more than 22,850.
IFPE 2008 also expanded its educational offerings with an electronic controls symposium added to the show’s renowned Technical Conference. The conference offered a record 111 papers from industry experts from around the world. A new IFPE Innovation and Solutions Center, on the show floor, provided real world insights into future design applications. IFPE education session registrations totaled more than 1,700.
Industry Support
The shows were the industry gathering place in 2008. Some 105 allied industry groups were “supporting organizations" of CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and IFPE 2008, bringing their memberships to the shows. In addition to U.S-based groups, these included international industry-related organizations from Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom and Venezuela.
A record number of 11 associations held annual conventions or board meetings at the shows, and overall a record number of more than 530 industry-related meetings were held in conjunction with CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2008 and IFPE 2008.
Other Highlights
CONEXPO- was also the site of the first ever Construction Challenge competition, initiated by show organizer Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The creative problem-solving competition was designed to interest teens in construction careers, while calling attention to industry workforce shortages and infrastructure renewal needs.
You’ll have to wait until March 22-26, 2011 for the next edition of ConExpo in Las Vegas. Check online for details: www.conexpoconagg.com, www.ifpe.com.
Suggestion, if you’re interested in going book your rooms early.
ConExpo Review
I can’t tell you how many miles I walked or but I can tell you that I attended a combination of 55 to 60 press conferences and booth visits. Over the next couple of days I’ll share some of the information I accumulated during these activities. Rather than doing this in any priority-related sequence I’m going to do it on a chronological basis starting with the first industry activity I attended which was the Caterpillar pre-ConExpo Press Event. This function was held in Las Vegas. Prior to previous ConExpos the Cat event was held at the company facility in Tucson Arizona.
The hot topic at this event was the introduction of the new, all new, Caterpillar D7E Electric Drive Track Type Tractor. You talk about stirring up some excitement, well this did. Many of the attending press were jaded “old-timers” who have seen it all (I remember the introduction of the Cat hi-drive tractors as well as the introduction of the excavator) and are difficult to impress.
We were impressed.
The diesel engine provides the power that drives an on-board generator that supplies power to two sealed and liquid –cooled AC electric motors. According to Caterpillar engineers, this is not a hybrid because it does not involve the use of batteries that store power which is used during the operating cycle as the energy source for the vehicle or machine. (More on that tomorrow when we talk about the Volvo hybrid wheel loader.)
In this application the electric motors are used to drive the planetary gears that drive the dozer. The benefits are numerous. I’ll just list a few, better fuel economy; as much as 60 percent fewer parts (no transmission); longer engine life – the engine runs at a constant rpm and is not subjected to the cyclical loading and unloading common in typical applications; counter rotation; improved weight distribution; and this is only a few. Oh yes, we can’t forget the oil saved because there are no hydrostatic drive motors. Because everything can be run off the AC electrical current the engineers were able to eliminate all the engine belts and pumps.
A detailed article on the new D7 E will be coming soon.
Cat also introduced the 993 K Wheel Loader and the 613 Wheel Tractor Scraper and announced the acquisition of E-Ject Systems which includes a towed-scraper line along with other products.
Next in the series of events was a “Ride-and-Drive” hosted by International Trucks. International introduced new versions of the PayStar 5900i SBA, WorkStar and ProStar and gave editors an opportunity to drive or ride in the new extreme service trucks.
I got to drive the 5900 equipped with an Allison Automatic Transmission and have to say that I was “dazzled” by the extremely beautiful interior. It is as nice if not nicer than most cars including top-of-the line luxury vehicles. Fully loaded it handled easily and had the sure-footed confidence of a mountain goat as it rolled – not bounced – over the rough terrain of a quarry.
I had to go for a ride in the WorkStar because it was powered by a new engine that International is adding to the list of power sources. The MAN built engine is the quietest running diesel I have ever heard. Standing next to it with the hood open and it idling what you heard was constant rhythmic ticking of the air compressor and the running of the cooling fan.
Inside with the windows closed you could carry on a conversation without yelling or missing a single word. The cab environment is such that even running with a full load and navigating the trails of a quarry noise didn’t stretch your nerves or push you to the point of total frustration. It is quieter than my car.
So much for today…
I will be back – tomorrow with more ConExpo.
Posted by Greg Sitek on March 17, 2008 | Comments (0)
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