World of Concrete (WOC) is among North America's biggest trade shows and is usually held annually in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) during the construction industry's slow season. In 2021, however, the show took a big chance by deciding to host a live event in spite of the pandemic. Instead of canceling, show management shifted the show to June – right in the midst of construction's busy summer season. Management knew this factor would depress attendance, and they worried the lingering cloud of COVID-related fears and international travel obstacles might adversely affect their event. But they soldiered on anyway. Here, I humbly point out what I think worked, what didn't, and what we need to think about as we move forward.

The showed opened on June 8, timed to coincide with the easing of restrictions across Las Vegas, which was looking to welcome back vacation-starved visitors to the city. I visited WOC with my colleagues Jefferson Davis and Jill Ann Down of Competitive Edge Training, and although we weren't part of their exhibitor education plan for the 2021 show (not unexpected given the uncertain times), we have been a big part of this event for the past decade. While the show looked and felt familiar, there were some changes to ensure and promote the health and safety of workers and attendees alike.

As we arrived at the newly opened West Hall of the LVCC, we were greeted by health screeners who took our temperature, issued green wristbands (indicating we'd passed the screening), and then directed us to have our digital badges ready to be scanned from our smartphones upon entry. The lobby was moderately crowded, but not overly so. We wandered toward the main entrance as we each fumbled with our phones to be ready. The extra requirement to continually juggle a phone for entry scans and lead capture is a major drawback to the digital badge system and becomes a large source of frustration especially to older, less tech-savvy individuals. It also drains phone batteries very quickly, and neither the exhibitors nor attendees liked them. Additionally, show security mentioned it was much harder to quickly identify attendees, exhibitors, students, media, trespassers, suitcasers, etc. The process also led to some awkward introductions and – if digital only badges are continued – must be factored into an exhibitor's pre-show staff-preparation regimen.

However, we did witness one exhibitor who cleverly turned this problem into a traffic-building opportunity. The folks at the Acumatica exhibit decided to put up a small sign that read, "Print Your Badge Here â?" Save Your Phone." Then by hooking up their cell phone via Bluetooth to a printer, visitors could produce a hard copy of their badge. It was a great conversation starter and perfect example of thinking on your feet to turn a lemon into lemonade.

Inside the two show halls, the main aisles were roomier (some up to 30 feet wide), and many side aisles were widened to about 15 feet. There was no aisle carpet anywhere in either exhibit hall, but none of this seemed to dampen or affect the experience of the buying attendees.

Besides the physical changes, many of the larger exhibitors mentioned they encountered logistical challenges, especially regarding shipping and material handling of large physical properties after such a long layoff. No surprise there. We all have to relearn how to do this stuff again. They also spoke about how they would likely deal with expected budget cuts to their programs. (Many reported their live-event budgets had been cut by 50 percent or more.) Clever and successful exhibitors will need to find ways to succeed with smaller footprints and show organizers will need to figure out ways to make ends meet with less net square footage sold.

Despite these issues, the live trade show felt very much like pre-pandemic events. Most attendees and workers were without masks and handshakes were common. We even saw lots of hugging between friends and colleagues. In fact, there was a celebratory feeling throughout the hall. Of course, this fraternal atmosphere is likely to be quite different depending on the nature of the industry. For instance, I imagine the health-care community will be somewhat more conscious about sterilizing exhibitry and remain more socially distanced than the tactile construction trades. Nevertheless, everyone at this show was clearly eager to reconnect. I certainly witnessed several exhibits where the staff was congregating with each other more than they should have, but it dawned on me that it's likely these teams haven't seen each other in a very long time. My advice to large exhibitors with upcoming shows is to plan a pre-show meeting solely to let your staff get to know each other again. As Susan Brauer teaches on EXHIBITOR's eTrak: "Don't skip the meetings!"

Going into the event, we wondered if attendees would be hesitant to gather for scheduled demonstrations promoted via Twitter and other social-media forums, so we stopped by a robotic drill demonstration at the Hilti exhibit. A crowd of 100-plus people gathered in the wide aisle (which was nice) to see the new product in action – just like during pre-pandemic shows. From what we saw, there was no reluctance to gather closely to view demos, touch and handle the products, gather printed literature, and take samples.

And the exhibitors we spoke with reported very strong lead quality despite their pre-show fears. The decision to hold the show during the industry's busy season only served to strengthen the quality of the visitors by reducing the size of each attending company's entourage. This audience was here to do business, and it demanded exhibitors get right to the point. (On the flip side, educational tracks suffered attendance declines, which might lead future shows to uncouple buying events from learning offerings and/or blend the two through in-person and broadcast-focused communication.)

All this opportunity was missed by the 300-500 exhibiting companies that normally come to WOC but were not present this year. Whether they chose not to exhibit or were restricted from attending by their country's laws or company policies, they're now behind the curve.

The LVCC itself was up and running (albeit at a reduced capacity), but all the local contract workers seemed genuinely happy to be back at work. The venue also unveiled its new underground Tesla-based shuttle system. Currently using three stations and human drivers in the cars, it's a quick, fun, and convenient way to get from one end of the convention center to the other. I hope they continue to expand this.

Walking away from WOC, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and optimism for this gathering and trade shows in general. Live trade shows and events are not dead. Not even close. Face-to-face marketing is here to stay. We knew it all along and just need to remind ourselves to have the courage to move forward and continue overcoming the obstacles in our path. Gene Autry said it best: "We're back in the saddle again."