ICUEE honored as top trade show in U.S.

The International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) was recently ranked as the second largest show of any industry in the United States in 2009, according to the annual “Gold 100” list of Trade Show Executive magazine. The magazine noted that shows on the list “have set the Gold Standard for the exposition industry.”

ICUEE 2009 covered more than 1 million net square feet of exhibit space and was topped only by the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). ICUEE 2009 attracted more than 16,500 registrants, second largest in show history despite a down economy.

Planning is well underway for the next ICUEE, to be held Oct. 4-6, 2011 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. Show organizers say industry partnerships are key to ICUEE’s continued success.

ICUEE 2011 will again feature the co-location of the H2O-XPO show of the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) and the NRWA annual convention, as well as co-location of the Incident Prevention (iP) Safety Conference and Expo. ICUEE education will include the co-located program of Underground Construction Technology (UCT), in addition to NRWA and iP education. Leading industry associations will promote the show to their memberships as official “supporting organizations.”

“Co-locations and industry support translate into extra value for all participants,” stated ICUEE Show Director Melissa Magestro in a press release. “There’s more networking and buyer-seller interaction, more learning opportunities that focus on industry needs and more cost savings when events are held together.”

Magestro explains that the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) uses this industry-centric “trade show model” for all expositions it has an ownership role in and/or manages, including ICUEE and CONEXPO-CON/AGG.

AEM shows are also industry-run in which participants have a “voice” in show planning, costs are carefully monitored, and revenues go back into services for the members and the industry.