The 23rd METALCON International had more action in the exhibit hall, great education programs and more to see and do than ever before. The 2013 METALCON, held October 1-3 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, drew more than 5,600 visitors searching for products and answers to their technology and business needs.
“Atlanta is a great location for attracting regional as well as international groups who want to know more about using metal in their projects. Our newest feature, Metal in Action, did exactly what we wanted. It created a central spot for active learning about metal roofs, walls, solar and tools – everything a contractor needs for improving jobsite productivity,”said Show Director Claire Kilcoyne.
METALCON draws designers, builders, developers, contractors, fabricators, and suppliers from more than 52 countries. Experts from nearly 300 companies exhibit the latest products and technology and share their knowledge with attendees, while industry specialists present key topics in the education program.
Specialists from the Metal Construction Association and other industry related associations presented the latest applications and field techniques in daily demonstrations in the Metal in Action area of the exhibit hall. This interactive program combines the best of Solar Bay Live, MCA’S Residential and Commercial Roofing Demos, and Tools Demos. Solar Bay Live offered presentations of techniques for installing solar and metal combinations. In the tools demos participants tested the latest tools for use with metal.
Exhibitors with new product introductions, such as Steelscape, generated a lot of excitement. The Kalama, WA-based company built its booth from its products and got a lot of attention for its pre-painted metal innovations. "We had more traffic by about 40 percent this year than last year,” notes Allen Garrett, sales and marketing manager for new products at Steelscape.
International visitors were abundant. Companies such as ATAS International had visitors from a diverse group of countries including Brazil, India, Russia, and Columbia. “All have great business potential. The group from Russia was interested in our products, especially what we offer for residential applications,” said Dick Bus, president of the Allentown, PA-based company.
Miguel Pena, sales manager for GSSI Sealants, Houston, Texas said: “We had a mix of contractors, small building manufacturers, and distributors visit our booth. This is exactly the type of audience we wanted. Some exhibitors are also customers so overall it’s the best place for us to see all of the types of customers we want in one fell swoop.” His company makes sealant tapes for the metal building and components industry.
The success of this year’s show set the stage for next year’s event to be held at the Denver Convention Center, Denver, Colorado from October 1-3, 2014. “Atlanta was a great show. Our exhibitors were really pleased with the audience we attracted. Many had their best show in years in terms of closing business on the show floor. With the success of this show, 89% of exhibitors rebooked and many companies increased their space for next year in Denver. Plus, more new exhibitors are continuing to book daily. Overall the industry is showing signs of an emphatic rebound from previous years. As a team we have been able to beat the curve in the construction trade show industry with growth instead of a decline like many other shows are experiencing. Our leadership continues to strive for new, innovative, and unique offerings for our exhibitors, attendees and the metal industry we serve. We look forward to 2014 being our best year yet,” says METALCON’s Exhibits Manager Paulo Gomes-da-Costa.
The show’s success reached beyond the usual business needs with more than $16,000 raised for It’s The Journey, Inc., producer of the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. The non-profit organization was recipient of METALCON’s 2013 Giving Back Program. “We’re thrilled with all of the positive outcomes from METALCON and especially thankful to all members of the industry for their support in helping us contribute to this very worthy cause,” noted Show Director Kilcoyne. Since METALCON’s Giving Back Program began in 1994 it has met its annual goal of donating goods, services, and/or funds to non-profit groups serving local host communities.
METALCON is produced by Newton, MA-based PSMJ Resources, Inc. and sponsored by the Metal Construction Association. PSMJ is the world’s leading authority on the effective management of architecture, engineering and construction firms.
For general information about METALCON, visit www.metalcon.com or call PSMJ Resources, Inc. /METALCON at 800-537-7765.
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