Year-over-year momentum continues for AGG1
This year’s AGG1 is the 10th in the history of the trade show. Photo: World of Asphalt Photo: NSSGA
AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo returns March 25-27 along with the co-located World of Asphalt, featuring a combined 400 exhibits across more than 200,000 sq. ft. of Nashville’s Music City Center.
Show management expects AGG1 and World of Asphalt to be among the biggest iterations in the history of the shows.
“We’re looking forward to returning to Nashville to bring the asphalt and aggregates industries together again to showcase the latest products and innovations all in one place,” says Brittany Schmidtke, show director of World of Asphalt. “Additionally, we are expanding this year’s show to include more networking and educational opportunities that were available at the record-breaking previous show.”
The last AGG1 and World of Asphalt, held in 2022 at the Music City Center, had 11,400 registrants. Those shows spanned more than 193,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and featured 440 exhibiting companies.
Demand for the 2024 trade shows is arguably at an all-time high, with exhibit space on the show floor selling out shortly after it went on sale last year. Perhaps the only downside of having AGG1 and World of Asphalt in Nashville is that the host venue has a finite amount of space to accommodate exhibitors.
“The only bad thing about Nashville is we have more demand than the Music City Center can handle,” says Michael Johnson, president and CEO of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), which organizes AGG1. “Since our co-located shows are growing at such a quick clip, we’re outgrowing contracted space. I would like to be able to get all of our M&S (manufacturers and services) folks space on the floor and all of the people who want to sell to this industry in that convention hall, so we’re working on solutions for future years.”
While exhibit space for AGG1 and World of Asphalt is limited, registrations for the shows are trending in a positive direction.
“Registrations are pacing well ahead of our Nashville 2022 numbers,” Johnson says. “These strong AGG1 registration numbers indicate a well-attended show, which is fully supported by the industry.”
AGG1 Academy details
In addition to the trade show component of AGG1 and World of Asphalt, a series of education sessions will be available at the Music City Center for those who make the trip.
In all, more than 120 sessions are planned for aggregate producers and asphalt paving professionals to build their businesses and skill sets. AGG1 Academy has four specific education tracks for producers to explore.
The operations and production track focuses on plant operations, production and maintenance, featuring beginner-level courses and the latest in technology and processes.
“Don’t miss out on the educational sessions of the AGG1 Academy,” says Jen Dugas, vice president of membership and events at NSSGA. “The perennial favorite session, Crushing 101, continues to rank as one of the top sessions every year.”
Crushing 101, which is led by McLanahan Corp.’s Mark Krause, affords attendees the opportunity to learn about different types of primary and secondary crushers. Krause details the pros and cons associated with different types, site conditions to consider when selecting crushers, and how to optimize processing with a particular crusher.
Safety and health is another focus of AGG1 Academy, with a track dedicated to best practices and techniques for producers to be efficient, safe and maintain the health of their workforce.
Another AGG1 Academy track – business and people management – focuses on the operation of aggregate businesses and managing the human element of the work, including financial principles, working with the community, and marketing and sales.
An AGG1 Academy track on the environment and sustainability focuses on enhancing the environmental stewardship of the industry, compliance with state and federal regulations, and adopting sustainable practices.
“With four educational tracks boasting 60 sessions, we expect the sessions to draw standing room only,” Dugas says of AGG1 Academy.
About the Author: Kevin Yanik
Kevin Yanik is editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry. He can be reached at 216-706-3724 or kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.Subscribe to Pit & Quarry
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