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This Just In

Informa Markets’ 49th World of Concrete Reaches Pre-Pandemic Numbers

MADDY RYLEY, SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR
attendees of World of Concrete walking around the show floor around exhibition booths

LAS VEGAS — Informa Markets’ World of Concrete (WOC), which took place Jan. 17-19, attracted 48,009 registered professionals and more than 120 countries to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), pushing its attendance to pre-pandemic levels.  

World of Concrete, which took home the Return to Normal Award and The Greatest Trade Show of 2021 Award at Trade Show Executive’s 2022 Gold 100 Awards & Summit, spanned more than 587,000 net square feet (NSF) of both indoor and outdoor space and showcased product displays, demonstrations and competitions at the LVCC. The size of the show is also reaching closer to its pre-pandemic level. 

This year’s show featured 1,128 participating exhibitors, which was more than the 1,047 exhibitors in 2022. The WOC team credited the higher attendance for the 2023 show with attracting more exhibitors than last year, and it is concentrating on attracting international attendees now that travel is less restricted. There was also a concentration on growing WOC’s digital presence and content offerings to attract a larger audience of potential attendees to the show. 

“The 2023 edition of WOC far exceeded our expectations,” WOC Vice President Jackie James said. “The crowded show floor and packed educational sessions proves how essential meeting face to face is, that it remains important now more than ever to have a space to connect, to learn, to share across the concrete, masonry and construction industries as a vital contributor to our economy. In-person attendance is on its way back to pre-pandemic levels, and the WOC event leads global trends in construction.” 

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The WOC education program consisted of more than 160 sessions addressing industry issues and technical classes focused on mass concrete placement, pavement design and 3D printing in concrete construction among other topics. New to WOC this year was eight seminars presented in Spanish that were developed by professionals and associations working with and for the growing number of Hispanic contractors in the U.S. and abroad. Many sessions were sold out and the diverse offerings hit the mark with attendees.  

The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program held its Silent & Live Auctions for the 18th consecutive year at the show, and it generated a record-breaking fund of more than $2.1 million. The auction and donations from online fund the grant for the program, which is designed to get students prepared for the concrete workforce early in their careers and provides them with a Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management. World of Concrete also donated $15,000 to the CIM Education Program. 

“Over 300,000 concrete contractors are employed in the U.S. and represent the backbone of the American and international workforce,” Informa Markets’ SVP of Construction Kevin Thornton said. “WOC is proud to support laborers in education and connection providing opportunity to advance the industry toward enhanced sustainability, efficiency and safety, and continuing growth.” 

The 50th anniversary of World of Concrete is slated to take place Jan. 23-25, 2024, in Las Vegas, with education starting on Jan. 22. 

Reach Jackie James at (212) 600-3525 or jackie.james@informa.com; Kevin Thornton at (817) 343-1549 or kevin.thornton@informa.com 

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