WOC 2013 announced increased attendance

Exhibitors call WOC 2013 “Best Show in Years”

By Valerie Vela

World of Concrete 2013 recently wrapped up another hugely successful show at the Las Vegas Convention Center February 5-8, 2013; Seminars 4-8. The well- known industry show surpassed all expectations in square footage and attendance numbers while launching new and exciting products, equipment and events; presenting more than 100 seminars in the world-class Education and Certification Program; and providing valuable networking opportunities for exhibitors and attendees.

World of Concrete 2013, the only annual international commercial construction trade show for the concrete and masonry industries, attracted 54,869 professional registrants and showcased just over 1,300 indoor/outdoor exhibitors in more than 605,000 net square feet of exhibit space, an increase of more than 53,000 net square feet over the 2012 show.

Optimism was evident throughout World of Concrete 2013 with positive results from exhibitors as well as attendees. We believe this upward trend will continue. Exhibitors were so pleased with WOC 2013 that we have already booked more than 60% of the 2013 exhibit space for the 2014 show,‖ said Show Director Jackie James. ―Also, our international attendance continues to grow as evidenced by the increased number of international delegations for WOC 2013.

World of Concrete participated in the 2013 International Buyer Program for the 8th consecutive year. World of Concrete Management and the U.S. Commercial Service cooperated in the global promotion of the show to bring international buyers and U.S. exhibitors together to expand business both domestically and overseas. Delegations from all over the globe attended World of Concrete to connect with U.S. exhibitors interested in exporting goods and services in the International Business Center.

Many exhibitors, including a significant number of new exhibitors, at WOC 2013 reported positive results and a desire to return to the show in 2014.

"We used to do other shows, but for the last ten years this has been the only show that we do, and this year's show is probably the best one I've been at in the last six years," said exhibitor Ron Turley of Ron Turley Associates, Inc.

Concrete professionals had a choice of several events to attend. The Concrete Construction Challenge featured entertaining events that combined precision, speed and focus, including Pervious Concrete LIVE! During the Concrete Polishing & Staining Luncheon & Forum, experts in the concrete polishing industry gathered to discuss what contractors need to know to help grow business while emphasizing the importance of concrete polishing specifications.

Other events featured were The Concrete Producer’s Challenge, including the popular John Deere Operator’s Challenge, the new Concrete Anchoring Live!, the new Roller Compacted Concrete Live! and the Western Star Serious Trucks Challenge.

This year attendees got their fill of the masonry industry events with Masonry Madness held on Wednesday, Feb. 6, including the 11th annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® National bricklaying championship and the Toughest Tender Competition. Also, MCAA (Masonry Contractors Association of America) held its Annual Convention at WOC. In addition to several educational sessions, MCAA featured two exciting events; the International Masonry Skills Challenge and the Fastest Trowel on the Block Competition.

SAIA’s Safety Boot Camp contestants performed a visual inspection of various types of scaffolding. These inspections simulated actual jobsite conditions that could be encountered on masonry construction jobsites.

"Honestly, I don't know how you could make this show any better! We come every year so that we can check in with the dealers we use throughout the year, but also to see if there are any new products or solutions that might provide us with opportunities to expand...we're definitely looking for new ideas,‖ said attendee Pat Larson, Allstar Concrete Pumping, Herculaneum, MO.

Masonry Construction’s Masonry Veneer Live returned to the 2013 show in the North Hall, adjacent to the World of Masonry. Masonry Veneer Live, sponsored by Oldcastle Architectural, included products such as cast stone, brick, adhered masonry, and natural stone.

The CONCRETE SURFACES Decorative Pavilion outdoor area featured the 11th Annual Artistry in Decorative Concrete. Leading artisans demonstrated the latest decorative concrete techniques, including stamped concrete patterns, chemical stain work, decorative finishes and much more. New for WOC 2013, the editors of CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION and CONCRETE SURFACES featured the Concrete Surfaces Decorative Pavilion Awards. Winners will be announced soon.

Also in the Decorative Pavilion was the new Let's Build with Concrete for Habitat -- a hands-on tool demo activity constructing concrete table tops. After the event, these items were donated to Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas ReStore.

Unique to WOC is the outdoor exhibits and demonstration area – the chance to see equipment and technology in action. This high-energy, high-impact area allowed attendees to test products under real jobsite conditions—giving them the knowledge they need to make educated purchasing decisions. Construction pros were able to preview and test the latest machinery, tools and equipment for use in decorative concrete, surface preparation and finishing.

"I'm in my last year in college in civil engineering and it's been great for me to come here for the first time and get a bigger picture of the industry. There's a lot of cool stuff here that I didn't even know was out there," said attendee Nick Olp of Madison, WI.

"This is the kind of event where people come so they can see, feel and touch what's new. There's just no way to get this kind of information on the internet...sometimes, there are products here that you can't even find on the internet," said exhibitor David Stroud of Ermatron.

World of Concrete provided attendees a world-class Education Program with expert-led seminars, packed with leading-edge advice on how to reduce costs, improve profits and save time!

"The seminars were really easy to find and really relevant to what's going on in my industry right now," said attendee Mike Naponelli of Chicago, IL.

CIM (Concrete Industry Management) held its annual unreserved silent and live auctions at WOC 2013 with all proceeds benefiting the CIM Program. The silent and live auctions raised a total of $610,000.
The 11th Annual “Most Innovative Products” Contest showcased the best new products of 2013. Attendees browsed product entries at participating exhibitors’ booths and cast their votes at the show or online to determine the most ―innovative product of the year.

"This is really an established show. Actually, I would say that this is the biggest show for the industry. You have to be here if you want to show that you're a player in the industry and the brand exposure is great," said exhibitor Brian Foster of Simpson Strong.

To honor hardworking crews in the construction industry, World of Concrete created the “Crews That Rock” contest sponsored by BASF for WOC 2013. Crews submitted stories and photos of their inspiring projects from the past year. This year’s contest included four Grand Prize winners, including an Online Audience Award and Experts’ Choice Award, in two categories: Commercial/For-Profit and Community Service/Not-for-Profit. All four winners were honored in the Crews That Rock reception at the CC Live booth on Feb. 6, 2013. Dean & Derek, popular radio and TV hosts of DIY Network’s Rock Solid, Indoors Out, and PBS’s Victory Garden, hosted the Crews That Rock 2013 winners’ reception.

World of Concrete 2014 will be held Jan. 21-24; Seminars Jan. 20-24 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.