WATCH: Let Concrete Cure those Winter Blahs

WATCH: Let Concrete Cure Those Winter Blahs

Miller time! The "World's Best Bricklayer Competition" was among the many highlights of a seriously upbeat event.

Procore's Bassem Hamdy talks with BW's Ian Manger.

by ROB McMANAMY in Las Vegas | Feb 8, 2016

In a man-made oasis that suspends reality 24/7, it's wise not to put too much stock in anything you see or hear. After all, if Las Vegas viewed reality as anything other than an intruder, its casinos would have both clocks and windows.

So this month, as the stock market sputters, oil prices slide, China's economy stumbles, and news of sporadic layoffs trickle through the construction equipment sector, Las Vegas still was working its powerful magic at the 2016 World of Concrete (WOC). Sprawled across 700,000 sq ft in three halls and two expansive outdoor pavilions, the 42nd annual convention and trade show drew nearly 1,500 exhibitors and some 60,000 attendees from all over the world to the sun-drenched sandlot for a week of deals, demos, and dazzling distractions.

“For centuries, concrete has been the foundational material used to create our built world.”

— Eric Rankatore, Portland Cement Association

Longevity: Concrete selling point.

As a WOC media partner, BuiltWorlds dispatched its ace video team of Ian Manger, Todd Stolarski, and Ryan Black to film the industry's largest annual event in the U.S. Traversing the show both inside and outside the Las Vegas Convention Center over three-and-a-half days, our talented trio visited hundreds of booths, interviewed dozens of exhibitors and attendees, and produced these three daily highlight reels that capture at least some of the fun and energy that defined each jam-packed day. "There was so much to see, so we were always running," says Manger. 

So, check out these short videos and stay tuned for much more WOC coverage in the weeks to come...  

Day 1 (above) offered time with Procore, Sage, Hilti, Putzmeister, Bosch, Schwing, Navistar, Topcon, and more. Below, Day 2 took our team outside into the bright sunshine for "Masonry Madness" and the competition for "World's Best Bricklayer". Featured exhibitors include Stihl, MACK, and Earthcam.

Day 3 (below) saw Ian and Todd compare notes on their favorite WOC events, in addition to witnessing the John Deere Operators Competition. Displays for PlanGrid, Trimble, Hyundai, Caterpillar, Case, Leica Geosystems, OnCenter Software, and Deere's new 700K Smart Grade Dozer also caught our eye.

Our Twitter feed (@builtworlds) also provided a pictorial window on the popular event. See below for a sample of images from show, as well as some promos for future WOC events.

Click through the gallery to see just some of the energy last week at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

At nearly 60,000, WOC attendance this year was the highest since 2009.

BuiltWorlds wasn't the only media outlet finding good stories to tell.

Caterpillar had a large presence on the hall floor.

Need a job? Put Hard Hat Hub's Andy Jansen at the controls. He and thousands more took test drives.

Specialty awards also were flying fast and furious across WOC last week. The American Concrete Contractors Association's Decorative Concrete Council unleashed a raft of prizes for multiple applications including stained, stamped, polished, cast-in-place, finishes, overlays, verticals, art and more. Of course, "decorative concrete" may sound like a contradiction in terms to some, but check out the winning "best overall project" below, which honored innovative design in architectural concrete, by Santiago Calatrava and Festina Lente. As cornerstone to the new Florida Polytechnic University, 35 miles east of Tampa, the elliptical structure was built by Baker Concrete Construction. For a full list of all the ACCA winners, click here.

WOW! Award for Best Overall Project went to Florida Polytech's elliptical, Santiago Calatrava-designed structure with exposed raker portals. Contractor Baker Concrete won the recognition from the Decorative Concrete Council.