June 27, 2007

Trade Show

Iron ready to roll at show's new demo zone

Jean Sorensen

correspondent

VANCOUVER

This year’s Heavy Construction Equipment Show to be held June 1 and 2 at Abbotsford’s Tradex Centre will feature a much larger demonstration area where equipment operators can view and operate new iron on the market.

The Demo Zone is now double the size it was two years ago when the last bi-annual show was held, says Mark Cusack, show manager for Master Promotions Ltd. which is the event organizer. “It’s bigger and better both in terms of new equipment that is on display and the Demo Zone,” he says, adding this zone (serviced by a shuttle bus from the Tradex Centre) will also feature crushing and screening machinery.

The last show organized by Master Promotions drew in 5,400 visitors to the show and with the hot construction market, Cusack says he is expecting the figure to climb even higher this year during the two-day event.

Master Promotions Ltd.

This year's demonstration area will feature actual working machinery but in a brand new, bigger and better venue. Pictured above is the 2005 Demo Zone which was half the size of this year's site.

He says the show is on the cusp of summer construction season, historically the busiest time for the industry and many coming to the show will be looking for new equipment to bring them into the season.

This year’s exhibit will feature 225 exhibitors inside the Tradex Centre. In addition, the area surrounding the Tradex Centre will house a host of equipment like cranes and trailers which are too large or too bulky to fit inside the Tradex space. “There are really three components to the show – the static displays (inside), the outdoors component around the facility and the demo area,” says Cusack, adding that anyone coming to the show should expect to spend a good day there.

Master Promotions Ltd.

The 2007 Demo Zone offers you ample opportunity to give the machines you saw on the show floor a test drive.

The admission fee is $10, or if one registers on line $5, or “any of the exhibitors have free tickets”, he says.

The new Demo Zone is approximately seven kilometres from Tradex and is the location of the Operators Training School for the industry. It measures 25 acres and chief instructor Bill Tonsaker and students for the event are preparing staging areas.

The area, though, offers no parking facilities and is only accessible via the shuttle. Concession booths and tents have been set up around the demo area to provide food and shelter, in the event of rain.

The equipment on display is geared towards the heavy construction and the road building industries both for new construction and maintenance uses.

Major exhibitors include Coneco, Brandt, Finning (Canada), Kaiser, Kubota, Parker Pacific, Wajax and others. Many of the exhibitors will be showing off the latest models of their equipment, says Cusack.

One of the highlights of the show is the Friday event for women in the construction industry who will take over the operation of the equipment in the Demo Zone.

Abbotsford Airport offers air service by WestJet to Alberta and other points east. In addition, Master has provided accommodation information on its web site. See www.heavyconstructionshow.com.

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