the most impressive company at Conexpo 23 was a tie between Caterpillar and Bobcat, they both had extensive commitment to attendees, but Bobcat had more fun interactive things for attendees

the video screen was playing interesting marketing interviews with customers and how their businesses benefitted from using Bobcat products, but that wasn't as impressive as the commitment to get attendees involved in communicating with Bobcat:

photo op wall, with the display boards to the right

corresponding to this brilliant marketing idea of getting attendees to self identify as one of these categories, and when pushing the button, the display had a definition for each term, they were making me laugh

I think you'll agree, their marketing PR people are damn clever

if you've been to a convention you're familiar with the badge holders and how it's common for clever companies to give or sell you silk or satin ribbons that have adhesive on them so the colored ribbon hangs below your badge... and once you've selected your category/tribe/identity as an Innovator, Ground Breaker, Maker, Game Changer, Rule Breaker, Dreamer, or Doer... you could have one of the ribbons for your badge holder - and of course, choose the right sign to hold for your photo op wall picture

Hollywood actor/celeb Josh Duhamel 

for interesting Bobcat stories: https://www.bobcat.com/na/en/company/news-media/bobcat-stories

the Bobcat booth was enormous, and had free coffee

and the had the Bobcat video game Groundbreaker that awards points for accomplishing construction work with a forklift, skidsteer, or loader

move stuff, avoid obstacles, etc  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp0YjyJJTu0/

Bobcat originated with a request by a turkey farmer to the Keller Bothers, to make a piece of loader equipment for him that would be light enough to operate on his 2nd story floor in his barn, what they made, was the original skidsteer loader

https://www.bobcat.com/na/en/company/about/history

I wish I'd seen what this game was, but I came by the booth after they closed for the day

CONEXPO attendees competed to fill out a detailed time card in under two minutes. In addition to hours worked, they filled out the diary, quantities, and even jobsite photos.

https://www.hcss.com/blog/comanco-wins-heavyjob-timecard-challenge/

https://comanco.com/blog/dan-mcrae-legendary-time-card-champ/

effective way to clean tar off construction equipment, with a great demonstration on a Tonka truck

well done carving, not sure why

 

a submersible pump is a perfect canvas for a terrific paintjob

I didn't expect to see a basketball hoop at ConExpo on a wheeled loaded bucket

mobile ground penetrating radar for checking for underground obstacles before using excavators or dozers

Boom and Bucket (great name) had a drawing at the ConExpo 2023, and called it the Bucket List Sweepstakes (another great name!)

these road construction safety barriers are incredibly well constructed, as a truck from Texas discovered after smashing into one at freeway speeds, and leaving its front license plate embedded deep within, while the driver walked away

the Kobelco booth at Conexpo had a cowboy theme and a mechanical bull

exceptionally enormous

woman in red at the far right side for scale 

fun idea for merch in the Caterpillar booth

the Caterpillar Demonstration show in their operator challenge arena (change your video speed to 2X, and skip the first 3 minutes 15 seconds)

this was cool and interesting at Con Expo... a booth where you could get your photo taken, wearing a hardhat, on an I beam, and pose either goofy, or like a hard worker

 

I haven't seen similar photo booth at the other 4 conventions I've been too, that allow attendees to pretend to be a worker in the industry (cosplayers have unbelievable photo ops at D23 and Comic Con, but that's not the same as a worker in the industry)

There are a lot more industry magazines in the construction trade than I would have guessed, from used equipment sales, to how to improve businesses and increase expansion and better methods

 

there were a lot more kids at Con Expo than I thought there would be, but Volvo was ready, and had excavators of 3 or 4 various sizes for them to test out

 obviously, NOW, I realize I should have got photos of the other ones... they were all smaller than the 250, of course, but only this one was MADE for the convention - the others were production line models that Volvo sells 

the industry choice award winner of the 2023 the Innovative Product Awards, a cement mixer automatic washer

because the truck needs to get really clean so concrete doesn't dry on it, decreasing the pour rate, and creating concrete adhering to places you don't want to chip concrete out of

https://www.shumakerindustries.com/products/load-go-ready-mix-truck-wash/

sometime rare occasions I meet great people and see they are doing good work making good stuff and just want to do what little I can to help get the word out about their company and product. 

mobile and self erecting concrete plant.. who'd a thunk it was even possible?