After deeming the inaugural event a success, plans for the second Canadian Concrete Expo are in the works.
The first expo took place at the International Centre in Toronto on Feb. 7 and. 8 and featured nearly 200 exhibitors. The number of attendees is not yet known. The event is organized by 20/20 Show Productions Inc. and cosponsored by the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CDSA).
“Attendance was strong over the two days,” said expo president Stuart Galloway. “Not in the sense of some shows that have tens of thousands of attendees, this was solid quality people that work within the concrete construction industry.”
The show featured a variety of products used across the cement industry, from rebar to boom pumps.
“This really covers all areas of concrete construction,” Galloway said. “It’s pretty much all here.”
The expo will return to the International Centre in 2019 on Feb. 6 and 7. Galloway expects the show’s footprint will double from about 13,950 square metres to upwards of 27,800 square metres.
“It’s going to grow. It seems to have really come to fruition in the sense that the exhibitors are very pleased,” he said. “And those that attended the show are ecstatic about what they are able to see, almost in their own backyard without having to fly thousands of miles to another country.”
He added potential exhibitors wanted to see how the inaugural event would play out.
“They didn’t want to make an investment into a first-time show, just in case it wasn’t what we said it would be,” Galloway said. “With our hard work with our team, it’s turned out to be everything we expected.”
The Canadian Concrete Expo team began researching the idea of the show in 2016. Customer survey calls were made to potential exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to garner insight on how to make the event a success.
“There is not an expo in Canada that provides anything like this for the Canadian manufacturers, suppliers or the concrete construction industry,” Galloway said. “Everybody generally has to go to another country if they want to see these products and services. That’s where the concept came from.”
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