Record AGG1, World of Asphalt max out Music City Center

The trade show floor at the Music City Center sold out this year for AGG1 and World of Asphalt. Photo: P&Q Staff

Aggregate producers and asphalt paving professionals filled a sold-out Music City Center this week in Nashville, Tennessee, with AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo bringing the industry together again along with World of Asphalt.

The 11,400 people who attended the co-located shows saw exhibits and new product introductions, and they took in a variety of educational sessions through AGG1 Academy and World of Asphalt’s People, Plants & Paving Conference.

According to show management, 440 companies exhibited at AGG1 and World of Asphalt across more than 193,000 net sq. ft. This year marked the second time AGG1 was held in Nashville.

“The record-breaking attendance at this AGG1 Academy & Expo and the co-located World of Asphalt shows the enthusiasm of the aggregates industry to be back in-person again,” says Michael Johnson, president and CEO of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), which manages AGG1. “Each day the trade show floor and educational opportunities have been fully attended. We are thrilled to provide this top-notch experience for our exhibitors and attendees as we return to fully in-person events.”

The footprint of this year’s AGG1 and W0rld of Asphalt exceeded the 2016 trade show in Nashville.

“The last time World of Asphalt and AGG1 came to Nashville in 2016, we sold approximately 150,000 net square feet of space in the Music City Center,” says Audrey Copeland, president and CEO of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), which is majority owner of World of Asphalt. “The fact that we were able to use every single square foot of exhibit space the Music City Center had to offer this time, while safely bringing the manufacturers and end users together, speaks volumes about the strength of the asphalt paving industry.”

Show management says the educational programs at AGG1 and World of Asphalt also broke records. Networking opportunities were ample, too.

“The networking opportunities at World of Asphalt are invaluable for attendees and fellow exhibitors,” says Kevin Kelly, chair of World of Asphalt. “We pride ourselves on being able to provide the kinds of connections to our members that help them grow their businesses and careers, and those connections can only come at events like World of Asphalt.”

Larry Gage, plant operator for J. Hutchins, an excavation and paving contractor in Richmond, Vermont, had a positive experience at the show.

“We actually met a lot of great people as far as getting information we needed,” Gage says. “Not just products, but people we can call and talk to about experiences we’ve had and see if they’ve had that same problem. I would definitely come back, and I think our boss would have us come back, as well.”

With ConExpo-Con/Agg returning in 2023, the next AGG1 and World of Asphalt will once again be at the Music City Center March 25-27, 2024.