CONEXPO-CON/AGG looks strong despite economy
A lot has changed in the three years since CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the triennial construction equipment exposition in Las Vegas, was last held.
A once high-flying economy is dusting itself off after a nasty fall. The Milwaukee-based association that co-owns the show, Construction Industry Manufacturers Association, has merged with the Chicago-based Equipment Manufacturers Institute to form a new entity – Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
But the momentum the exposition had built since CONEXPO in 1996 combined with CON/AGG, a show for concrete and aggregates producers, is still intact. CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2002 exhibit space sales have already surpassed 1999 high water mark of 1.73 million net square feet. This year, the show is expected to feature 2,000 exhibitors and 1.8 million net square feet of exhibit space. While sources close to the show say preregistration is ahead of last year, another industry exposition, the American Rental Association’s conference, which took place the week of Feb, 10 in Anaheim, Calif., was hit by a 25% decline in attendance.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2002 will be held March 19 through March 23, and is owned and produced jointly by AEM and a group of Washington, D.C.-based associations: International Concrete and Aggregates Group, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, and National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association.
Some reduction in activity
According to representatives of two southeastern Wisconsin manufacturers exhibiting at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2002, while they are optimistic that attendance at CONEXPO-CON/AGG will remain solid, both are scaling back on their personnel and expenditures at the show due to economic factors.
"While we have seen other industry trade shows through the conclusion of the first quarter be less than desirable and have had to question our participation, we feel CONEXPO-CON/AGG will eclipse its previous attendance," Larry James, manager of distribution development/planning for Gehl Company in West Bend, said. "The information we are receiving from our customer organizations and channel of distribution is that, while the number of people they are sending may be down, there will still be a strong showing."
While Gehl has purchased the same amount of exhibit space it had at the 1999 show, the company is sending fewer people, according to James. That smaller number of employees will have to interact with distributors and end-users as the company launches several new products, several of which will be officially unveiled at the show.
Cutbacks at Omniquip
One manufacturer of aerial-lift and materials-handling equipment, Omniquip International, Inc. of Port Washington, will send fewer staff to Las Vegas this year than it did in 1996, according to Laurie Shaver Bernardi, who is responsible for the company’s exhibit. The company also has one less product line to handle since the sale of the Scat Track line of skid steer loaders and mini excavators to Volvo.
"We do have a new product we are introducing," Shaver-Bernardi said. "The Skytrack 6042. This will be the first introduction of that new product."
The marketing functions and staff company-wide have been "cut way back," according to Shaver-Bernardi, and that will be reflected in the company’s presence at the show. Other cutbacks will also be apparent.
"We used to have a dealer event which, unfortunately, we are not going to be able to do this year," Shaver-Bernardi said. "We had one night where it was a special event just for dealers. We are going to do things on an individual basis with customers."
Shaver-Bernardi agrees with Gehl’s James that CONEXPO-CON/AGG has a good chance of bucking this year’s trend towards decreased attendance at expositions.
"We attend a couple of shows every year, and every time there is a CONEXPO, the attendance of those other shows is down," Shaver-Bernardi said. "We are figuring a lot of people had to cut back on their budgets as well, saving them for CONEXPO, so we are really excited about it and we are really looking forward to it."
March 15, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
