America’s biggest equipment show boasts 2.5 million square feet of exhibition space where contractors (67 per cent of attendees) have access to aggregates, concrete, earthmoving, lifting, utilities and many other companies. That’s roughly the size of 50 football fields. In the spirit of health and wellness T&T shares suggestions for surviving the mammoth expo.

For 2020, the show is bigger, says Dana Wuesthoff, show director. There will be a new outdoor lot at the Festival Grounds, which people can access on the shuttle by showing their badge. “Guests already love the show, and we’re always trying to improve it,” says Wuesthoff, “more innovations, more hands-on demos. We also pay attention to visitor comfort.”

This year Conexpo is doing a new “streamlined” layout that “will make it easier for attendees to comparison shop,” Wuesthoff says.

Show organizers polled veteran attendees for their advice for first-timers. Here’s is a selection of their top tips:

  1. Have a plan. There is no way you will see what you want to see by just coming across it as you walk.
  2. Download the app for your phone.
  3. Book a hotel close to the monorail system for the best access to the show.
  4. Bring multiple pairs of comfortable shoes.
  5. Don’t get hung up on just visiting “your manufacturers”. There are a lot of new technologies and companies to see.
  6. Take breaks off your feet.
  7. Eat a good breakfast every morning.
  8. Start walking a few miles a day now to get in shape. If you are unable to walk for extended periods of time, scooters can be picked up in the Gold and Bronze Lots near the shuttle buses.
  9. Bring a backpack to carry all of the information you collect.
  10. Go outside in the morning and inside in the afternoon when the temperatures heat up.
  11. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Limit the alcohol and don’t hit it too hard at night.
  12. Don’t forget your hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.