World of Concrete 2012

World of Concrete 2012 completed another successful show at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Jan. 24 through 27. The show launched a wide array of new products, equipment and events, presented more than 100 seminars in the Education and Certification Program, and provided valuable networking opportunities for exhibitors and attendees. 

Over 50,000 professional registrants attended, making World of Concrete easily North America’s largest show for the concrete industry.

World of Concrete attracted 52,088 professional registrants in total and showcased just over 1,200 indoor/outdoor exhibitors in more than 552,500 net square feet of exhibit space, an increase of 40,000 net square feet over the 2011 show. 

“There was a very positive and optimistic buzz on the show floor. WOC 2012 has been a huge success, and based on the feedback we have received from both exhibitors and attendees, we have no doubt the economy is recovering and the commercial construction industry is well on its way to a great 2012,” said show director, Jackie James. 

Many exhibitors at WOC 2012 reported positive results and a desire to return to the show in 2013. “Our first year at World of Concrete was beyond anything we imagined,” said exhibitor Stuart Johnson, president of Phoenix Curb Machines. “We left the show with sales, distributors, solid leads, multiple media interviews, and valuable connections.”

World of Concrete participated in the 2012 International Buyer Program for the seventh consecutive year.

World of Concrete management and the U.S. Commercial Service co-operated 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. 

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 and Staining Luncheon and 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 and the Western Star Serious Trucks Challenge.

World of Concrete featured numerous outdoor exhibition and demonstration areas where attendees could try out products for themselves.

The 10th annual Spec Mix Bricklayer national bricklaying championship was held on Jan. 25. The 60-minute bricklaying competition featured the best bricklayers in the world travelling from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and even Australia to test their levels of skill, speed and stamina. The popular event positioned 21 two-person teams made up of a mason and mason tender who competed to lay the most brick while meeting strict quality standards. Leif Reints of Reints Masonry Works in Neosho, Mo., won first place after laying 583 bricks in one hour and took home a new Ford F-250 four-by-four truck, $5,000 cash and sponsor prizes worth thousands of dollars. 

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. 

The 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. 

“I tell everyone in the business to come to World of Concrete. If you’re in the business, you should be here. I come to buy, browse what’s here and see what’s new,” said attendee Matthew Frank of Matthews Construction in Seaford, N.Y. “I spend a lot of money here, it’s a necessity.”

For the first time at World of Concrete, Masonry Construction’s Masonry Veneer Live was held over a four-day period in the North Hall, adjacent to the World of Masonry. Masonry Veneer Live included products such as cast stone, brick, adhered masonry, and natural stone. Highlights included the Veneer Exhibits featuring leading manufacturers and suppliers of masonry veneer and related products. The Masonry Veneer Training Zone was a unique education area where partnering associations offered special training demonstrations to teach the mason contractors and installers about masonry veneers. Artistry in Masonry Veneers was a special display area featuring demonstrations of the cutting-edge artistry that a craftsperson can achieve with masonry veneers.

The Concrete Surfaces and Decorative Pavilion outdoor area featured the 10th Annual Artistry in Decorative Concrete. Leading artisans demonstrated the latest decorative concrete techniques, including stamped concrete patterns, chemical stain work and decorative finishes. 

All new this year, Concrete Construction’s How-to-Zone, a 1,600-square-foot portable facility located in the Concrete Surfaces and Decorative Pavilion, included Concrete Construction Live Educational Events, such as “Advances in decorative concrete stenciling,” “How to efficiently lay out and form steps” and Contractor Clinics.

Contractor Clinics offered attendees education on new techniques, material and tools presented by participating exhibitors. 

Concrete Construction magazine’s third annual Decorative Concrete Tool Demonstration featured a live action area in which attendees learned how to use new tools and accessories in decorative concrete applications. Tool demonstrations included dry diamond polishing, hole coring, engraving and forming.

The editors of Concrete Surfaces hosted the Concrete Polishing Demonstration Area, which featured the latest in the expanding industry of concrete floor polishing. Demonstrations focused on surface preparation, achieving reflectivity, quality control, testing and more.

In addition to the Concrete Polishing Luncheon and Forum, World of Concrete offered two other luncheons: the Quality in Slabs Luncheon and the Women in Concrete Luncheon and Forum. Industry leaders discussed job growth at the Women in Concrete Luncheon while the Quality in Slabs Luncheon focused on defining quality in slabs beyond just flatness and levelness.

Unique to WOC is the outdoor exhibits and demonstration area with 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 products, such as trucks, cranes, decorative concrete, surface preparation equipment, walk-behind power trowels and shot blasters.

“We are here to see the new equipment. It’s great to be able to go outside and actually test it. It helps us with our buying process,” said attendee Cliff Mayo of Mayo Concrete in Grand Junction, Colo.

New to WOC 2012, the Case Triple Threat Rodeo National Championship featured 60 finalists vying for a $110,000 prize. Attendees watched the finalists compete with Case’s latest models on the same course for prizes and gifts from Case Construction. The Sasquatch Challenge matched attendees’ skills against the Jack Links Sasquatch in the new D Series mini- excavator. The fastest time won a custom parts locker filled with $1,000 in Jack Links jerky. In the Ram Truck Zone, attendees got into the seat of the newest 2012 model Ram worksite trucks. Octavio Miranda, of Ancaster, Ont., was named the Case Triple Threat Rodeo North American Champion and won a 2012 Ram 2500 truck for himself and a new Case TR270 compact track loader and a Towmaster trailer for his sponsoring company, L.M. Enterprises. Owner/operator Allan Long, of Summerhill, Penn., placed second and won a US$5,000 CNH Capital rewards card. Lloyd Lesher of Casper, Wyo., took third place, and received US$1,250 in cash for himself and a US$2,500 CNH Capital Card for his sponsoring company, Andreehunt Construction. First-, second- and third-place finishers also received custom belt buckles recognizing their performance.

World of Concrete provided attendees a world-class Education Program sponsored by White Cap Construction Supply with expert-led seminars, packed with leading-edge advice on how to reduce costs, improve profits and save time. “In addition to the show floor, I go to a few seminars. The information presented is very helpful to keep our business competitive. I get exactly what I come here for,” said attendee Mike Wisniewski of Eau Claire, Wis.

The Product Showcase gave attendees an opportunity to be among the first to see the latest industry products and technologies. “This is where you come to get exposure with the right buyers. I’ve generated a lot of leads through World of Concrete,” said exhibitor Jan Marcus of Chicago Pneumatic in Independence, Ohio.
Those with a love of history joined the Hoover Dam Bypass Editorial Tours to learn about the project’s challenges as well as the admixtures used in the project’s mix designs. 

Concrete Industry Management held its annual unreserved silent and live auctions at WOC with all proceeds benefiting the CIM Program. The silent and live auctions raised a total of $617,750, a record amount to support the education program. The live auction attracted more than 400 onsite and online bidders from around the world and raised $558,000, surpassing the annual auction’s previous record by more than $185,000. 

The 10th Annual Most Innovative Products Contest showcased the best new products of 2012. 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.

Exhibitor Clark Workman of Rebar Machine Sales and Service in Las Vegas, Nev., said World of Concrete is vital to his company. “It’s the place to be and show your face. It’s also good for customers to come up and talk to us directly. They can ask the people behind the equipment more in-depth questions,” he said.

World of Concrete 2012 debuted its mobile app this year to positive response from exhibitors and attendees. The free app allowed attendees to quickly find exhibitors, seminars and events, speaker information and more from iPhones, iPads, Androids and BlackBerry devices. Users were also able to connect to WOC Facebook and Twitter feeds, hotel and transportation options, and local restaurants and bars.

To honour hardworking crews in the construction industry, World of Concrete created the Crews That Rock contest sponsored by BASF. Crews submitted stories and photos of their inspiring projects from the past year.

On Dec. 19, 2011, first place was awarded to Southwest Tech Bricklaying and Masonry program, of Fennimore, Wis., for the Memory Walk at the Grant Regional Health Center Foundation. Second place was awarded to Stark Excavating of Champaign, Ill., for the company’s pour project at the Kirby Hospital Medical Center and Carle Clinic. Impressions Concrete, of Ottawa, Ont., was named the third place winner for the company’s assistance to families that were victims of fraudulent contractors. All winners received an airline credit and room nights in a Las Vegas hotel during WOC 2012, seminars and a bag of WOC/BASF swag. They also were honored at the show in the BASF booth.