LAS VEGAS — The 50th edition of World of Concrete (WOC), produced by Informa Markets and taking place Jan. 22-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is shaping up to be both memorable and productive for exhibitors and attendees. This year’s trade show will span more than 700,000 net square feet (NSF) of indoor and outdoor space, compared to 2023’s 587,000 NSF, and feature more than 1,400 exhibitors from 35 countries.
The WOC team is focused on the show’s community and finding ways to support them by actively listening to the audience to know what relevant and useful content to incorporate into the show. The team adjusts content and messaging based on new trends and products, which keeps people returning to the show year after year and strengthens relationships with exhibitors.
“This year our theme is ‘Legendary event for a legendary year,’ to commemorate not only the event itself but also the exhibitors and attendees who have been instrumental in supporting the growth of the industry through being at World of Concrete. We have an additional 50 education tracks this year, including eight new sessions focused on emerging leaders, new networking lounges on the show floor, and a lineup of incredible speakers, some of whom have been involved with WOC for over 20 years. We are also donating 50 trees to commemorate our anniversary year to the Las Vegas Tree Initiative to help mitigate the urban heat island effect,” said Kevin Thornton, Senior Vice President, Infrastructure and Construction at Informa Markets.
The show’s milestone anniversary is prompting excitement from not only attendees, but from the Informa Markets team too.
“I am most excited about seeing the community come together again to not only conduct business and make important connections but also celebrate the hard work, skill and knowledge that continues to lead the industry. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, we want to recognize all the people and businesses that impact the entire construction industry. World of Concrete is the second largest show in Las Vegas, and it means so much to our community for both their businesses and their personal development,” Thornton said.
Programming and Education
WOC provides attendees with top-notch educational content year after year, and the team added some new aspects this year to attract even more attendees to the sessions.
“Historically, our sessions have been three hours or 90 minutes in length, but this year, we decided to test out one-hour sessions. We were hoping to primarily engage the attendees who were there just for the trade show floor and maybe didn’t have enough time to sit in on a longer session. Almost a “teaser trailer” session to give them a taste of what our program is like. At one week out from the show, we are seeing great success in these Fast Facts sessions,” said Christen Tye, CEM, Education Manager for WOC.
Along with Fact Facts sessions, WOC is adding a workshop this year to engage with the younger generation to focus on what their options are in the industry as a career path. The Emerging Leader track was inspired by the 50th anniversary of the show and the growing focus on bringing the next generation into the concrete industry. The track was introduced not just for those beginning in the industry but also for those who may have been in the industry for a while but are looking for their next step in a leadership position.
WOC also utilizes its speakers as marketing channels since they are proponents of the show and great at spreading the word about the show to their networks. Tye said that having speakers serve as marketers also allows them to have a feeling of ownership over their session and impact on attendees.
To help guide the programming, the WOC team emphasizes getting evaluations from attendees and even provides paper evaluations since they found them to be the easiest method to get more feedback.
“Our attendee feedback is really important to us because they are what keeps our program going. The speakers in our program value the attendee’s feedback as well, as they are always seeking ways to improve themselves as speakers and the content they bring to our program. Our team also works closely with an advisory committee comprised of experts in the various segments of the industry. Their input to our program is valuable, as they have their hands on the pulse of the industry,” Tye said.
WOC 2025 is scheduled for Jan. 21-23, with educational programming taking place Jan. 20-23.
Reach Informa Markets’ Infrastructure and Construction Public Relations at IC.PR@informa.com
