Ep. 138: Live at CONEXPO-CON/AGG with Dana Wuesthoff

CONEXPO – CON/AGG Podcast: Construction Business Insights For Contractors

Live at CONEXPO-CON/AGG with Dana Wuesthoff

Taylor welcomes a very special guest to the podcast today, and he does so in an equally special location. Dana Wuesthoff, the show director for CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the largest construction trade show in North America joins Taylor at the Expo itself to discuss the planning and logistics involved in creating such a huge and hugely successful event. As the show director, Dana oversees a team of people and service vendors that work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring the event to life, and today she highlights the immense coordination and teamwork necessary for such an event to happen, and the importance of having this dedicated team to work with and rely upon. She and Taylor go on to discuss the many benefits of attending events like CONEXPO-CON/AGG, including the opportunity for attendees to connect with others, share ideas, and solve problems together. Additionally, they describe the new community zone that was introduced this year to provide a space for attendees to recharge and connect with one another.

Delving into the details of the CONEXPO-CON/AGG show in Las Vegas, our duo reveals that it is one of the largest construction shows in the world, covering over 6 million gross square feet with over 2.8 million net square feet dedicated to exhibit booths alone. They note that the show is organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, along with two other industry associations, and offers over 175 educational sessions put together by the organizers and industry associations. The many interesting panels and discussions taking place at the event, as well as the variety of educational opportunities available within the exhibitor booths are also reviewed. In essence, today’s exceptional episode highlights the vital role that events like CONEXPO-CON/AGG play in not only bringing people together, but also advancing the industry, and providing invaluable educational and networking opportunities - truly an episode and event that you can’t afford to miss.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• Dana Wuesthoff and her role in producing the Expo
• The planning process for the show
• The immense coordination and logistics involved
• The dedicated team of vendors and service partners
• What Dana enjoys most about the show
• Some challenges in running outdoor events
• Setting up the largest exhibits
• The takedown process
• The new community zone
• The show’s organizers
• The educational opportunities available

Quotes:

"I kind of grew up in our services and I'm kind of like a giant project manager. There's a whole team of people, an army of people and service vendors that all work behind the scenes. We plan for three years to bring this event to life."

"I'm planning 2026 already. I have been for a while. I think some of my team probably hates me a little bit because I'm like, 'Yeah, '23 and '26 at the same time.'"

"That is the equivalent of lifting over 3,000 African Bush elephants, that's what that translates to."

"All these wonderful exhibits with the dirt and the aggregates and everything up there, the equipment on there, that was 175 dump trucks coming in, just dropping that stuff in."

"My favorite part is literally just seeing the people all coming together and seeing connections."

"We know how big the show is. We know how tired your feet can get, but really, you just wanted a place to sit down, get your devices charged, kind of recharge yourself a little bit, have a snack or a beverage."

"These three industry associations are really the ones behind the CONEXPO-CON/AGG together."

"We have over 175 different educational sessions that we, as the show, put together."

Links:

Taylor White on LinkedIn

To see highlights from the 2023 show, go to: https://www.conexpoconagg.com/show-experience/show-highlights

Komatsu Homepage

Dana Wuesthoff on LinkedIn