World of Concrete drew near-record crowds to Las Vegas in February.
With more than 73,000 registered construction professionals and 1,500 exhibiting companies filling over 700,000 sq ft of space at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the 2003 event was the second largest in show history. It rivaled the all-time record set in 2001 when the event drew more than 77,000 construction professionals, with 1,600 exhibiting companies using 760,000 net sq ft of space at LVCC.
World of Concrete features equipment, supplies and services for all aspects of construction and is viewed by many as a barometer for the industry.
"Because we're usually the first show each year and we produce an event that addresses the business side of construction, others look at what happens here as an indication of where the market is going," said Show Director Beth Gassen. "The success of this event and the optimistic attitude we saw and heard on the exhibit floor is certainly a good sign for the industry."
"We were cautiously optimistic coming here," said Peter Bigwood, president of Atlas Copco Construction Tools Inc., Holyoke, Mass. "But it was better and busier than expected. People are in the buying mode."
Next year's show will be in Orlando, Feb. 17-20, before World of Concrete permanently moves back to Las Vegas.
