September 2021 Vol. 76 No. 9
Features
Utility Expo Includes New Name, Layout
Billed as the utility industry’s largest trade show for utilities and utility contractors, The Utility Expo (formerly known as ICUEE) will be held Sept. 28–30 in Louisville, Ky. The biennial trade show, known for equipment test drives and interactive product demonstrations, has been reimagined with an optimized outdoor layout.
This year’s Utility Expo will feature a new outdoor show layout, designed to allow for more product introductions and demos than ever before. The event will include more than 850 leading manufacturers and service providers
plus more than 1.35 million square feet of exhibition space.
The demolition of Old Cardinal Stadium from the Kentucky Exposition Center grounds allowed The Utility Expo to use that newly paved lot for exhibits. It serves as a massive contiguous exhibit area connecting the indoor exhibits in North Hall and the traditional digging space in Lot K.
The new layout also provides the opportunity to group similar product types, making it easier to navigate and find the equipment at the show. Ultimately, this redesigned exhibit space will lead to better show traffic flow and make the move-in process easier for all show exhibitors.
Safety is always a front-of-mind consideration in the utility industry, and the same is true for AEM’s exhibitions and events team in its preparation for The Utility Expo. Show leadership is taking proactive steps to follow policies and guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State of Kentucky and the Kentucky Exposition Center to ensure a safe and rewarding in-person experience for all.
While efforts have been made to broaden the scope of The Utility Expo, “dry” utilities – electrical power and telecommunications – continue to dominate the event.
From the beginning
The origins of The Utility Expo date from the mid-1960s when field events were held on farmland near Elburn, Ill., west of Chicago. Since then, demonstrations have been the heart of The Utility Expo, and manufacturers serving the underground construction market have taken maximum advantage of the opportunity.
Indeed, the underground construction industry has been a key to the success and growth of ICUEE, now The Utility Expo. Vermeer and Ditch Witch were at the first Elburn show and have been at every event ever since.
As at past shows, “K” Area again will be bustling with demonstrations of horizontal directional drills, auger boring machines, pipe bursting equipment, trenchers, backhoe-loaders, skid-steers with multiple attachments and many other excavation equipment and support products.
Show attendees include contractors and utility construction personnel. They can operate equipment in the demonstration areas, discuss product capabilities with company technical experts, and compare various brands of products and identify the ones that best meet the needs of their work.
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