Razzle

For those who like to plan ahead, now is the time to assess what you want to see at ConExpo Con/Agg 2008 and strategize where to spend your days and nights at the year's biggest construction equipment show.

Crane and transport equipment and vehicle manufacturers and service companies will be out in full force all five days of the show, with most introducing dazzling new and improved products. Planning for the show started about three years ago, as soon as the 2005 show wrapped.

Las Vegas will again host the tri-annual ConExpo Con/Agg exhibition for the international construction industry. Some 125,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the five-day event, along with the International Exposition for Power Transmission, taking place in the same center. Organizers say there will be about 2,000 exhibitors using 2.1 million square feet of indoor and outdoor space, equivalent to more than 48 acres. More than 85 industry organizations from around the world are also expected to participate, some of which will be holding their annual conventions during the exhibition. In addition, there will be 10 international pavilions for Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

An education program will be available, covering a range of industry issues and trends, as well as management and applied technology. In the new Safety Zone will be live demonstrations and information about jobsite safety.

The crane industry will be out in full force with the usual display of new and recently launched products. One of them, Manitowoc, says it will present 12 cranes, including seven new launches.

“ConExpo Con/AGG is a living example of the incredible advances made by the construction industry. It is a culmination of the industry's contributions throughout our history and a showcase for our future,” says a show spokesperson.

The show started in 1909 in Ohio, with 40 exhibitors, all demonstrating equipment that could “do the work of 15 horse-drawn units,” according to organizers. During the post-World War II boom years, the exhibition grew rapidly, and in the 1970s began to welcome overseas exhibitors. The show made the move to Las Vegas in the 1980s.