How to Make the Most of Your Time at CONEXPO

If you’re heading to Las Vegas this March for CONXPO-CON/AGG, we have some tips to help ensure your time is well spent whether it’s your first time or your fifth. It’s a big show — we can also help make your long days a little more stress free and comfortable too.

Let’s start with some CONEXPO pre-show to do’s:

Determine how you prefer to get to the show each day and book a hotel that can get you there for free. Parking is limited at the convention center, and the area gets fairly congested throughout the day. Instead of driving, many hotels offer free shuttles to the show or you can select a hotel next to a Las Vegas monorail stop. If you didn’t specifically purchase a monorail pass during your registration, you’ll need to purchase a monorail pass here. Opting for a taxi, Uber or Lyft is another good option.

Map out which CONEXPO exhibitors you want to visit each day. The show is 2.7 million square feet, so before you arrive in Las Vegas, you’ll want to map out how many exhibitors you can realistically see each day. As an example, you’ll likely want to visit a few booths located close together one morning to minimize walking between exhibitors — then you can move to another area for the afternoon. If you’re planning to attend CONXPO educational sessions, that can squeeze your free time as well. Utilizing a tool like My Show Planner on the CONEXPO website is a great way to select the exhibitors you want to visit. After you get registered for the show, just create a My Show account to get started.

Sign up for exhibitor experiences as soon as you can. Many CONEXPO exhibitors offer in-booth experiences like test driving new construction equipment, operating simulators, celebrity meet-and-greets and so on. With over 130,000 people attending, slots fill up fast. Once you’ve determined which exhibitors you want to visit, find out if you need to sign up for special activities or events so you don’t miss out.

Make dinner reservations early. There are thousands of restaurants in Las Vegas, but if you’re interested in eating on the strip every night, you’ll most likely need a reservation. Be sure to take care of your dinner plans while you’re booking your travel.

Be ready to exchange contact information. You don’t get tickets to enter the show — you’ll receive a badge that you wear around your neck on a lanyard. Each booth you visit will scan your show badge to know who visited their booth, but it’s also a good idea to have some business cards to hand out to booth staff that you personally want to stay in contact with after the show. If someone isn’t nearby to scan your badge, it also makes it easy for the exhibitor to get back to you later on.

Now that you have some of the pre-show checklist items taken care of, use the tips below for an easier, more comfortable at-show CONEXPO experience:

Find the closest badge pick-up location. Badges aren’t mailed in advance of the show, but there’ll be numerous locations to pick up your badge when you arrive in Las Vegas including the airport, several hotels and three locations at the show grounds.

Stay hydrated. It will most likely be hot and dry while you’re in Las Vegas — even in March. And because the show is so expansive, you’ll be on your feet walking most of the day. Do yourself a favor and drink lots of water throughout the day.

Wear comfortable shoes and sun-protecting clothes. Some show veterans have learned this the hard way, but if you’ve never been to CONEXPO or it’s been a while, be sure to have comfortable shoes. And because Las Vegas is usually warm and sunny, long-sleeves, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat are sure to become your best friends.

A late night in a casino or club can make for a tough next day. Certainly take advantage of all that Las Vegas has to offer, but don’t overdo it. Plenty of first-time CONEXPO attendees have overindulged in the Las Vegas strip or downtown area only to miss their next day at the show.

Make sure your mobile phone has space for lots of photos. Take lots of pictures and share your CONEXPO experience with your co-workers who may not have been able to come. You’ll want pictures of all the new innovations and technologies you’re going to see and experience.

Meet new people. CONEXPO is a great venue for networking. Be sure to introduce yourself to booth staff and educational session instructors — you never know when a connection could lead to new business opportunities.

Most of all, have fun! CONEXPO is an immersive experience — you’ll see products, services and entertaining presentations you’ve never seen before. During your show planning, we also encourage you to add Volvo to your CONEXPO list — stop by, say hi and see all the latest technologies and innovations designed to transform the construction industry forever.

See you in Las Vegas!