Betting on vegas

Las Vegas is the hot spot for several conventions in spring 2017 with industry events such as the Construction and Demolition Recycling Association’s (CDRA’s) C&D World, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ (AEM’s) ConExpo-Con/Agg and the National Demolition Association’s (NDA’s) Demolition 2017 heading to the Sin City. Despite its reputation for fun and games, space is the biggest reason these organizations cite for choosing the location.

“They have the most hotel rooms and exhibit space,” William Turley, CDRA executive director, says. “And darn, it’s Las Vegas.”

CONVENTION TEAM UP

C&D World 2017, the Milwaukee-based CDRA’s annual meeting, is scheduled alongside ConExpo-Con/Agg to save members’ traveling budgets and time. It is March 8 at Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas.

“So many people are going to go to ConExpo-Con/Agg anyways,” Turley says. “Our vendors don’t have to buy a second exhibit at our show by being co-located.”

With ConExpo-Con/Agg giving a broader look at major construction industries, such as asphalt, aggregates, concrete, earth moving and lifting, mining and utilities, C&D World is giving the “bread and butter” outlook of the construction and demolition (C&D) recycling industry, including an economic forecast keynote speech and a state of the industry session.

According to CDRA Account Manager Jennifer Rzepka, the industry update is in a town hall style where CDRA members can speak up about the state of the industry in their region, draw parallels and resolve similar issues.

An end markets panel takes place during C&D World, and the event closes off early in the evening with the annual CDRA membership meeting.

The 125,000 attendees expected for the ConExpo-Con/Agg and 2.3 million square feet of exhibit space sold indicates a bright future for the C&D recycling market, according to Lautenbach.

“There’s housing shortages everywhere, building is happening briskly and we handle the material that’s left over,” Lautenbach says. “As long as we have something to do with the material, which is constantly under attack and competing with fossil fuel, we’ll continue to thrive.”

TECH EXPERIENCE

ConExpo-Con/Agg, organized by Milwaukee-based AEM, covers more than 2.5 million square feet net of exhibit space at the Las Vegas Convention Center. From March 7 until March 11, ConExpo-Con/Agg expects 130,000 attendees from 150 countries.

ConExpo-Con/Agg also is co-located with the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) and the AEM’s International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE) for fluid power, power transmission and motion control.

“Industry support and partnerships have always been a defining characteristic of AEM-run shows,” Sara Truesdale Mooney, ConExpo-Con/Agg show director, says. “[Supporting organizations and partnerships] help promote the shows’ value and bring qualified buyer groups to the events.”

The show will house exhibitions of the latest equipment, products and services in the construction industry, along with educational sessions emphasizing issues and trends in the industries, management and applied technology.

The theme of this year’s ConExpo-Con/Agg is “Imagine What’s Next,” focusing on technological advancements in the equipment industry.

A highlight of this is the Tech Experience, a 75,000-square-foot interactive area in front of the convention center that will spotlight trends and technologies for the job site, workforce and infrastructure.

A spotlight for Tech Experience is Project AME, the world’s first fully functional 3D printed excavator using fluid power innovations and the first large-scale use of steel in 3D printing.

The excavator is being printed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility in Knoxville, Tennessee. The laboratory will create and assemble the cab, the boom and a heat exchanger for the excavator.

GET IN THE GAME

Rather than playing to win on a card table, attendees at Demolition 2017, Jan. 28-31 at the Mirage in Las Vegas, are playing to win out in the field with a Super Bowl themed event. The Washington-based NDA’s annual convention’s “Play to Win” theme features NFL coach and former player Herman Edwards as the keynote speaker.

“Attendees can expect to find traditions that have made Demolition 2017 a must-attend event,” Jayne Corso, coordinator of marketing and communication services for NDA, says. “In addition to top-notch education, we will be hosting classic events such as the 30th annual golf tournament and the annual banquet where we will be hearing from a new NDA president, Scott Knightly.”

Five educational sessions, as well as three “Fast and Furious” sessions are on the schedule for educational programs. The “Fast and Furious” sessions are 15-minute presentations highlighting the industry’s regulatory standards, including safety and government regulations updates and advancements to environmental practices by looking at the demolition industry from a global scale.

“Each year, we tailor our convention program and activities to focus on what our members need to efficiently grow their business,” Corso says. “In the wake of the new presidential election, the education places an emphasis on regulatory learning, which ranges from safety standards to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) rulings.”

More than 1,000 industry members are expected to attend the convention, including business owners, contractors, industry engineers and manufacturers, government and officials. Attendees also can visit more than 90 exhibitors ranging from large manufacturers to smaller environmental and consulting services.

“Come to Demolition 2017 with an eagerness to learn and meet new people,” Corso says. “Attend the concurrent sessions and fast and furious presentations, and don’t be shy. Take these two days of the convention to meet with exhibitors and learn from other attendees.”

More information on Demolition 2017 is available on its website.

TAKING IT TO THE BIG EASY

Rather than Las Vegas, WasteExpo is headed to a diffetnt convention hot spot. Organized by the Washington-based National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) and New York City-based Penton publication Waste 360, WasteExpo is May 8 to 11 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

This is because, according to Senior Director of Communications and Management Jessica Mayorga, the schedule for the show switches between the two cities, which have garnered more attention compared to past events.

But attendees also come to the event for its educational sessions focused on issues such as safety, fleet maintenance and recruitment—the “bread and butter business issues.”

“We are a dynamic and ever-changing industry,” Kevin Kraushaar, vice president of NWRA, says. “We have some outstanding initiatives that our board has championed on safety, advocacy and operations.”

An example of these initiatives comes in the form of an operations committee that will be active by WasteExpo and will focus on safety not only for haulers and trucks, but for the operational sector, Kraushaar says.

“We will continue to be a very robust, vibrant, competitive industry that serves its customers in the best way we possibly know,” Kraushaar says. “It’s relentless attention to improving customer service and the environment that we will continue to work on in 2017."

The author is assistant editor of Construction & Demolition Recycling and can be reached at hcrisan@gie.net.