Strong Results for World of Concrete 2010

Words: Steven Pomerantz
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55,108 registered professionals attended World of Concrete 2010.

World of Concrete 2010, held February 2-5; Seminars 1-5, delivered another strong event with 55,108 registered professionals and 1,354 exhibiting companies in more than 600,000 net square feet of action-packed exhibit space.

Exhibitors met and networked with qualified buyers at WOC and took this opportunity to exchange ideas on sustaining business, obtaining the education necessary to be up-to-date on new products and technologies, and to learn about new ways to run a smart and lean business.

“Our Exhibitors were pleasantly surprised at the bustling crowds on our opening day. The quality of participants we continue to bring to the show is what sets WOC apart from other shows in the commercial construction industry. Our goal is, and will always be, to bring together qualified buyers and sellers to do business, share ideas, and to network. Judging from the feedback we have received from our Exhibitors, we have accomplished this goal,” said Tom Cindric, Show Director.

“World of Concrete 2010 has been awesome! We have an outdoor booth and have had a lot of traffic all week. We are getting a great response from people at the show. We knew there would be people here from all across the country and wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to launch a new product,” said first-time exhibitor Dan Dodgen of Safety Step TD, Colton, California.

“This is our fifth year, and every year it gets better for us. We are glad we came even though the economy has been a little tough. The quality of people that attend the show is top-notch. This show put us “on the map” five years ago, and we continue to exhibit and build upon our success year after year,” said exhibitor Les Davis, American Decorative Concrete of Springdale, Arkansas.

“I’m so excited...there is so much to learn here. I started a brand new company and I have made so many important contacts here at WOC already,” said attendee Jodean Davies of Woodland, California.

World of Concrete is proud to have been selected to participate in the 2010 International Buyer Program. World of Concrete Management and the U.S. Commercial Service worked closely in the global promotion of the show bringing International buyers and exhibitors together to expand business both domestically and overseas. As part of the program, delegations from all over the globe attended World of Concrete to network with other international visitors as well as connect with U.S. exhibitors interested in exporting goods and services.

Special workshops and programs were held in conjunction with the IBC including a Federal Finance Assistance Workshop for U.S. companies, presented by the U.S. Export Pavilion, helping U.S. companies with the information and assistance necessary to succeed in the global marketplace, and the SHOWTIME Program conducted more than 122 individual meetings allowing participating companies the opportunity to meet one-on-one with U.S. Embassy Commercial Building Products and Equipment Specialists at the Show.

“This is my first year attending, but I see myself coming for many years to come. WOC is a very useful event. You can read about new equipment online, but actually seeing it makes a world a difference,” said attendee Ahmed Arowolo of Lagos, Algeria.

This year, WOC’s world-class Education Program offered 100+ expert-led seminars, packed with leading-edge advice on how to reduce costs, improve profits and save time. It featured 15 designated tracks with both 90-minute and 3-hour sessions that provided practical, field-proven instruction in everything from Concrete Fundamentals, Business & Project Management, Masonry, and Concrete Production to Decorative Concrete, Safety & Risk Management, and Finance & Money Matters.

At WOC 2010, the first annual WOC Regional Education Conference was announced, which will provide the information and the continuing education hours contractors need to conduct work in many states. The Conference will take place at the Caribe Royale Orlando All-Suites Hotel & Convention Center, in Orlando, Florida, on May 14-15, 2010.

“We designed this unique Regional Conference program to provide valuable technical and business best practices relevant to today’s concrete industry,” said Bonnie King, Sr. Conference Manager of the World of Concrete Education Program. “With the in-depth content and variety of topics, attendees will walk away with proven strategies to grow and develop their businesses.”

CIM (Concrete Industry Management) held the 5th annual unreserved live CIM Auction at WOC 2010 with all of the proceeds benefiting the CIM National Steering Committee to support their efforts to establish, support, and sustain its programs at selected universities. The auction, produced by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, raised $386,000, which included a silent auction before the live event, benefitting the CIM program.

CIM students also worked during WOC 2010 to create a memorial to the fallen firefighters of a firehouse located at 48th & 8th Streets in New York City. Ed Gruetzner, a firefighter who had retired from FDNY four months before 9/11, lost many friends on that day. Several months ago, Ed, now an accomplished decorative concrete installer living in White Plains, NY, approached Mike Eastergard, owner of PreiTech Corp. in Atlanta, Georgia, to discuss the idea of creating a concrete memorial for the firehouse. Mike immediately volunteered his custom concrete form expertise and resources suggesting that they work with CIM students to create the memorial during the 2010 WOC Artistry event.

The popular GREENSITE area on the show floor, in cooperation with the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative, showcased the latest green build technologies along with displays, video / live speaker presentations, and limitless information about this exciting new aspect of the construction industry. The editors of Concrete Construction, The Concrete Producer and Masonry Construction magazines hosted the second annual GREENSITE Luncheon & Forum, sponsored by Holcim. This forum provided contractors, producers and architects a place to share ideas on how to be a part of this growing construction segment — Green Building.

Satisfying the #1 reason why attendees come to WOC each year, the New Product Showcase, back for its second year, created a targeted area on the show floor, where attendees could see some of the newest products in the industry.

“I come to World of Concrete every year because there’s always something new to see. I’m here to look for new products to help me do my job better. I see technology for cutting and drilling and this year’s new products are always better than the ones before–there’s always something new!” said attendee Steve Cirjak of British Columbia.

“We come to WOC to see new and state-of-the-art technology. We get to talk directly to the people that really know their products. We are in decorative concrete, so getting to interact with the chemists that create the various products is very valuable to us,” said attendee Jeff Wolcott of San Luis Obispo, California.

Unique to World of Concrete is the Outdoor Events and Demonstration Areas featuring fan favorites including the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®. Garrett Hood took home the title of “World’s Best Bricklayer” at the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®, winning a Ford pickup, $5,000 cash, and thousands more in sponsor prizes. Hood took home second place at WOC 2009, and was the 2008 champion. At age 25, Hood has made a name for himself in his brief 9 year career.

Additional events included the Bosch Power Tool Challenge, the John Deere Load America Competition, and the Mack Driving Skills Safety Challenge. Along with these key spectator events were hundreds of outdoor exhibitors demonstrating many new products and cutting-edge equipment / technologies for a one-of-a-kind hands-on experience.

Artistry in Decorative Concrete showcased leading concrete contractors and artisans creating amazing masterpieces on 10’x10’ squares of concrete using dyes, stains, color hardeners, stamping, polishing, and other decorative applications. Hosted by Concrete Construction magazine, this highly informative, compelling event drew a large audience who were entertained as they learned about the uses and techniques for decorative concrete. Concrete Surfaces magazine sponsored the brand-new Contractor Clinics, where decorative concrete artisans provided hands-on demonstrations and techniques throughout the week in the always popular outdoor lots.

The 5th annual Women in Concrete Breakfast & Forum featured key industry leaders providing a women’s perspective on “Breaking Down Barriers.” Speakers shared stories involving the concrete industry, motivating moments, and how to become a leader in difficult times. Along with this informative content, this gathering provided an opportunity for professionals to network.

Other unique Breakfast / Luncheon forums included the Concrete Polishing Luncheon & Forum, Hosted by Concrete Surfaces magazine and sponsored by the organizers of the International Concrete Polishing & Staining Conference, and the Curling & Shrinkage in Floors Field Test Research Breakfast, sponsored by Forta and Wagner Electronics, helping attendees gain specific targeted information for these specialty sectors of the commercial construction industry.

“I work for the county government here in Las Vegas. I try to come every year to see the relevant products and technologies are being offered here at WOC. This show is hard to beat with the indoor and outdoor exhibits and demonstrations,” said attendee Kenneth Larson of Las Vegas, Nevada.

“This is the show for construction. There has been good traffic all week and the buyers are here,” said exhibitor Charles Cook of Peterbilt Motors, Denton, Texas.

World of Concrete 2011 will be January 18-21; Seminars 17-21, back again in Las Vegas, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Visit the World of Concrete website, full of brand new user-friendly features, downloadable high resolution 2010 show images, and technology to help buyers and sellers connect before, during and after the show at www.worldofconcrete.com.
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