by Jon M. Casey

Nashville, Tennessee’s Music City Center was the site of the 2016 NSSGA AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo and the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s World of Asphalt Show and Conference held March 22 to 24. With more than 9000 attendees coming and going throughout the three day joint event, event hosts enjoyed the increased record attendance which was up 16 percent over the 2015 event held in Baltimore, MD and up more than 38 percent over the AGG1/WOA event in 2013. With more than 450 exhibitors displaying new products and services on display in the exposition that coincided with the dozens of training seminars taking place the three days of the event, attendees had an opportunity to learn more about specific areas of their chosen industries while being able to visit with manufacturers and suppliers of the latest equipment and technologies.

On the exhibit floor, attendees could comparison shop everything from pavers and highway milling machines to crushing and screening equipment. With over 150,000 square feet of floor space featuring the latest in drone technology, pavement application, compaction and density monitoring and a myriad of innovative improvements to equipment of all kinds to peak shopper’s interest, exhibitors had plenty to offer. Some of the photos accompanying this article can give readers an idea of the scope of this event.

On the educational side of AGG1/WOA, concurrent seminars for both industries took place throughout each day. AGG1 Academy experts presented courses and case studies on topics that covered four basic program tracks: Operations & Production; Automation, Technology & Software; Environment, Safety & Health and Business Management. WOA offered their People, Plants and Paving Training Program to help contractors learn more about the latest industry innovations in safety, recycling, maintenance and plant production. Program tracks included People, Plants, Paving, Pavement Preservation and Environmental Health & Safety.

The National Stone Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) owns AGG1 while the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), the NSSGA and The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) owns the World of Asphalt. AEM produces both shows, which target the business and professional development needs of aggregates, asphalt, pavement maintenance and traffic safety industry professionals.

AGG1/WOA returns March 6-8, 2018 and will be held in Houston, Texas. These shows are held annually except in CONEXPO-CON/AGG years. WOA and AGG1 exhibitors feature their products at CONEXPO-CON/AGG every third year. For the latest show information, visit www.worldofasphalt.com or www.agg1.org .

Next year, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 will return to Las Vegas, NV on March 7-11. Sponsored by Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the National Ready Mix Concrete Association and The Associated General Contractors of America, and co-located with the International Exposition for Power Transmission (IFPE), this triennial, world renowned event will offer acres of new construction equipment and technology covering aggregates, paving, recycling and associated industries. For more information visit www.conexpoconagg.com .