Unofficially known as the Olympics of construction, CONEXPO 2020 is just a few short months away. Officially called CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the construction trade show is happening March 10-14, 2020 in Las Vegas. Whether you’ve attended the event before or it’s your first time navigating the event, we’re here to be your guide before the show begins.
Below, we’ve compiled the essentials for CONEXPO 2020. Here’s what to expect and our picks and tips on how you should spend your time at the event.
First, for those of you new to CONEXPO-CON/AGG, you’re in for an exciting five days. We can’t state this enough; the event is massive. The tradeshow is North America’s largest construction tradeshow, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center every three years. In 2017, attendance was close to 128,000 construction professionals. CONEXPO 2020 is expected to draw over 130,000 attendees, with 2,800 exhibitors spanning over 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space.
CONEXPO 2020 is for everyone in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Whether you are a specialty contractor, engineer, project manager, owner, designer, or construction technologist, there’s plenty to do and see over the five-day tradeshow.
Excitingly, over the last few years, the show has exploded as a showcase for innovation and technology in the industry. Expect to see even more cutting edge equipment and digital tools to help today’s leading and forward-thinking construction professionals build and design better and more efficiently.
Already feeling anxious about planning your schedule at CONEXPO? Our one big suggestion (other than wearing your most comfy shoes): don’t try to see it all. It would be nearly impossible to cover 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space while packing your schedule with a selection of the some-150 educational sessions. That being said, it’s important to come prepared. Plan wisely to ensure you can get the most out of the show. Start thinking about the following:
Use the menu below or keep scroll to learn about the top events, exhibitors, and activities at CONEXPO 2020:
The educational sessions at CONEXPO 2020 are divided into 10 tracks to help construction professionals find the topics most relevant to their sector and role. Whether you are looking for a specific vertical of focus like concrete or asphalt, or you’re looking to hone in on specific areas like safety, business, talent acquisition, or technology – the content options seem endless. While we suggest you peruse the directory and find the topics that excite you the most, we have a few recommendations that strike our interest:
Feel like You're Wasting Away? How Connected Workforces Reduce Construction Waste - Tuesday, March 10 (11:45 am - 12:15 pm; Silver Lot 3 - Tech Talks Stage)
The construction industry is wasting away. Globally, construction uses three billion metric tons of natural resources to manufacture building materials every year. And up to 30% of this is wasted; with rework, overestimating, and inaccurate data all contributing to the problem. It’s never been more important to build smarter, faster, and better. Whether you specialize in commercial construction, industrial construction, or infrastructure projects, the session will help you gain a deeper understanding of how to better connect your workforce with technology to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
Wisdom from the Hive: Technology Selection and Implementation - Tuesday, March 10 (9:30-10:30 am; Westgate - Pavilion 6)
Technology selection is one of the most foundational elements of business strategy today. As the industry is now in the middle of a digitization transformation with technology, it is ever more important for companies to establish their proven process for success in technology selection and implementation. Learn best practices of the most innovative companies in the industry.
Driving New Innovation at Complacent Companies - Thursday, March 12 (3:00-4:00 pm; Westgate - Ballroom A)
What does it mean to be an innovator? In this session, James Benham, a technology public speaker for the construction industry, describes an innovator as someone willing to disrupt the status quo and experiment in hopes of breaking down inefficiencies. In this session, James will challenge contractors to cultivate innovators within their teams to lead technology research and development efforts.
Seasoned But Not Too Salty - Young Leaders Discussion - Tuesday, March 10 (9:30-10:30 am; Westgate - Ballroom B)
There’s no denying that the future of construction lies in the hand of its young leaders. However, young talent sometimes rises the ranks to leadership positions - and once there, they have a lot to learn and teach from the top. Join several young industry leaders in discussing the pros and cons, the challenges, and the benefits they experience.
New Approach to Building Female Construction Leaders - Wednesday, March 11 (1:30-2:30 pm; Westgate - Pavilion 11)
Construction needs to actively encourage and support more women in the industry. Female leaders can make an impact in at least two important areas: mentoring other women and helping develop and implement strategies for mitigating bias and discrimination. Gender bias won’t vanish overnight; it’s an ongoing effort. Learn why construction companies with an active gender equality program are likely to attract more female applicants at all levels, in addition to distinguishing themselves as industry pioneers.
Jobsite Safety: A Survivor's Story - Wednesday, March 11 (3:00-4:00 pm; Westgate - Ballroom E&F)
Once again, real industry stories are powerful. Eric is an average guy who had a typical attitude toward safety: accidents, but not to me. Until the one that nearly took his life. In his presentation, he describes the events leading up to his devastating accident, how it could have been prevented by following proper safety procedures, and the impact the accident has had on himself and his family for the past 15 years. Eric's presentation focuses on the importance of safety and how the decisions we make can affect the rest of our lives.
People Not Policy Driving Safety - Thursday, March 12 (9:30-10:30 am; Westgate - Pavilion 6)
Safety is one of the hottest topics for all construction companies. In this session, learn how to bring humanity back into safety programs, and make it easier for everyone. The trap of compliance-driven policies often leads to dry, dictatorial, uninspiring leaders who don’t really teach—or reach—anyone. Learn how the safety industry is missing an opportunity to make safe behaviors and learning about caring for others, about showing and acting on our humanity.
Navigating the show floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CONEXPO-CON/ AGG can feel overwhelming. But with some areas of focus, you’ll be able to streamline your time exploring. First, we suggest visiting the CONEXPO 2020 website to get the official list of exhibitors. Then, hop over to the floor plan to understand how the show is organized - you can search by criteria like keyword, category, or hall.
When you have a My Show Planner account, you’ll be able to save the exhibitors you want to see, helping you to create your list before you go. We’d suggest making your ultimate list of exhibits and booths and then organize by location. That way, for example, it would be easy to plan your route in Central Hall for the day if you knew every booth you wanted to see in that specific area.
Autodesk Construction Cloud™ (South Hall 1, S62421)
While we may be biased (after all this is the Autodesk Construction Cloud Blog you are reading this on), we promise you don’t want to miss out on stopping by our booth at CONEXPO 2020. While the booth will feature live demos of our connected construction technology, it’s also an area to take a breather and have a little fun. We’ll be hosting several fun games (with chances to win awesome prizes) as well as be giving away free drink coupons to our on-site Beer Garden (more on that below).
Topcon Positioning Systems (North Hall, N12701)
Topcon Positioning Systems, always one step ahead, is a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of precision measurement and workflow solutions for the global construction, and geospatial markets. At the Intersection of Infrastructure and Technology, Topcon provides industry professionals with the advantages and know-how to be at the forefront of technological innovation to maximize efficiency.
CONEXPO Connect (Grand Lobby, GL20401)
Just like at CONEXPO-CON/AGG, CONEXPO Connect brings you the latest, most innovative construction equipment and products -- conveniently online -- so you can find the right solution for your next job. We've brought the entire industry together so you can tap into a network of experts, from successful construction owners to experienced equipment operators, and technical experts at leading manufacturers. Join now, always free for contractors and material producers like you.
Matterport (Bronze Lot, B91029)
The Matterport Pro2 3D Camera captures 2D photography and 3D data from job sites and automatically stitches them into a complete, immersive 3D model of a real-world job site. Take this 3D model and annotate, share, and export the point cloud to Autodesk ReCap or Revit.
Victaulic (Central Hall, C31050)
Victaulic has developed a new joining method for high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE) that eliminates the need to fuse. Victaulic's HDPE Piping Solutions saves time and money with no heating or cooling pipe ends and with no fusing equipment prep. Installs rain or shine. The first-ever complete HDPE solution with couplings, fittings, and valve technology.
Carhartt (Bronze Lot, B90903)
Just for fun! Stop by the Carhartt booth, one of our favorite clothing and gear providers for construction professionals.
Trust us, after a few days or even hours of CONEXPO 2020 you’re going to feel the tradeshow burnout. Prioritize time on your schedule to relax, recharge, and connect with friends and industry influencers. The good news is, you don’t have to go far.
March Madness Brew Garden - Between Central Hall & Silver Lot
Yes – you heard us right. Autodesk Construction Cloud is hosting a beer garden at CONEXPO 2020. Serving beer from 12-5 pm (and coffee from 9 am-12 pm) daily, the brew garden is the place to be to take a breather and meet up with colleagues and other industry friends. The theme of the garden is March Madness, where attendees can catch games being live-streamed, in addition to fun basketball and arcade games. We’ll also be giving away some awesome prizes over the five days.
PAC-12 Package
Speaking of basketball, CONEXPO-CON/AGG also offers an exclusive package to the PAC 12 college basketball games with a hosted party. It’s a $200 package (per person) and includes one-way transportation from the convention center to the T-Mobile Arena, plus a two-hour pre-party on the Terrace at the T-Mobile Arena.
Are you ready for the Olympics of construction? Start the conversation and share any thoughts, tips, questions, or show highlights you have below in our comments section. We’d love to hear from our community!
