World of Concrete 2020 exhibitors, attendance decline

World of Concrete 2020 celebrated its 45^th edition this year, but attendance, exhibitors and exhibit square feet all decreased compared to 2019’s record event.

According to show organizers, 54,000 people registered for the event (down 10.7% from last year’s 60,511) and exhibit space shrunk by 9.8% from 776,800 square feet to 700,000 net square feet. Despite 255 brand new companies at the show this year, the total number of companies on display declined by more than 12% from last year’s 1,500 to this year’s 1,310.

International visitors came from 29 countries outside of the U.S., and exhibit space booked for 2021’s event (Jan. 19-22, 2021) resulted in over 530,000 net square feet, or 77% of World of Concrete’s 2020 show floor. Organizers project next year’s edition to be “one of the largest events in over a decade.”

“This year has been a very successful event,” said Jackie James, group director, World of Concrete. “The industry continues to evolve and grow stronger as we enter a new decade. The construction industry remains strong along with the economy and we cannot wait until WOC 2021, with the new expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall to showcase our leading industry suppliers in this state-of-the-art facility.”

Construction of the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall is expected to be completed by CES 2021 which opens on Jan. 5, 2021. The 1.4-million-square-foot expansion – along with a revamping of the old convention complex to be completed by 2024 – will cost $1.5 billion. A major milestone was hit in mid-February when excavation of the Convention Center Loop was completed for the first of two one-mile-long tunnels.

The Convention Center Loop is a $52.5 million underground transportation system that will include three passenger stations connecting the existing convention space with the convention center’s new West Hall. The system will allow convention attendees to be moved across the campus in just over one minute, free of charge, in all-electric Tesla vehicles.