World of Asphalt (https://www.worldofasphalt.com/) is returning to the Music City Center in Nashville on March 25-27, 2024, after a one-year hiatus due to ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023. The show is the leading trade show and conference focused on the asphalt and paving industries. It features the latest equipment, products, services and technologies for the asphalt and paving industries, as well as educational opportunities. The 2022 show was recognized by Trade Show Executive as one of the “Fastest 50" growing trade shows.
“This World of Asphalt is poised to be the most crucial one yet with all the advancements going on in the asphalt pavement industry,” said Dr. Audrey Copeland, president and CEO of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) (https://www.asphaltpavement.org/) and co-owner of the show.
“With more than 400 exhibitors and more than 200,000 square feet of exhibits, the 2024 show is expected to be among the biggest in its history. This year’s event will bring the asphalt and aggregates industries together again to showcase the latest products and innovations all in one place,” said Brittany Schmidtke, World of Asphalt show director. “Additionally, we are expanding this year’s show to include more networking and educational opportunities than were available at the record-breaking previous show.”
The show is co-located with AGG1 Academy & Expo (AGG1). AGG1 serves the aggregates industry. It features in-depth industry-focused educational programming and exhibits that showcase the latest equipment, technologies, and services for the aggregates industry.
Attendees can upgrade their experience by opting for the All-Access badge, which grants daily entry to both World of Asphalt and AGG1, along with access to up to 10 concurrent education sessions.
Education
There will be a total of 120 education sessions at the 2024 edition of the show. “We’re proud of the educational lineup we have assembled for the asphalt paving industry,” said Schmidtke. “We listen to what the industry and our attendees are saying about what they need, and make sure to have it.”
The World of Asphalt education conference is divided into five different education tracks: people, plants, paving, pavement preservation, and environment, health, safety & Sustainability.
The AGG1 Academy offers four tracks: operations & production, safety & health, business & people management, and environment & sustainability.
“Don’t miss out on the educational sessions of the AGG1 Academy. The perennial favorite session, Crushing 101 continues to rank as one of the top sessions every year,” said Jennifer Dugas, NSSGA vice president of membership and events. “With four educational tracks boasting 60 sessions, we expect the sessions to draw standing-room-only.”
Command Alkon will address labor issues and company culture with their two presentations. Diana Dorough, enterprise sales manager, will address how automation technologies can alleviate the pressure of talent shortage by enabling companies to achieve more with fewer resources. The session title is “How Automation Can Stretch Scarce Talent.” Susan Whetstone, product owner, will focus on the unconscious bias that women often face in networking and business relationships in the session "How to Thrive in a (Wo)Man's World.” This session will provide strategies for women to boost their confidence, expand their network, and capitalize on their unique strengths and perspectives.
International attention
The shows continue to garner international attention. For example, a full suite of Nigeria’s asphalt professionals is scheduled to attend. Attendees include engineers, asphalt manufacturing companies, the National Road Transport Owners Association (NARTOA), the Nigerian Institution of Highway and Transportation Engineers (NUPENG), contractors, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), federal/state ministries of works, Transportation and Infrastructure Development (NBBRI), public works agencies and researchers.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) https://aem.org/, which organizes the show, has worked with public relations company Niche PR, located in Nigeria, for more than 15 years. They promote and encourage people in the industry to “leverage the benefits of knowledge exchange and business networking at the show for economy growth and development.”
Marcella Iyitor, the lead consultant and chief executive of Niche PR said, “For the first time, our company was assigned to recruit participation not only from Nigeria but also from all African countries based on how well we have worked with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers over the years, and how important the Nigeria business space is to the global market.”
