Finding Solutions
Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Utility Industry News.
Born out of necessity, the International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE), also known as The Demo Expo, traces its roots to an Illinois farm in the summer of 1966. To help solve an equipment evaluation and communications problem, Illinois Bell invited 12 trencher manufacturers to demonstrate equipment in the same field, on the same day.
The field demonstration event was such a success that it was repeated in 1969 and 1972 as a three-day utility equipment show. By the late 1970s, what would become a biennial event now held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville had grown considerably. Today ICUEE is owned and produced by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
During the 2011 event, which takes place October 4-6, ICUEE will host more than 950 exhibitors and 20,0000+ attendees from electric, phone/cable, sewer/water, gas, construction, landscaping and public works industries. ICUEE now covers more than 1 million square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibit space. On display is equipment including all-terrain carriers, attachments, components, earthmoving, environmental, light, overhead and maintenance, material-handling, recycling, safety, testing, transportation, trenching, trenchless, trucks and utility materials/supplies.
A hallmark of ICUEE is the hands-on demonstrations of construction and utility equipment. Exhibited in job-like conditions, attendees can experience equipment working at ground level, underground and overhead. On the ICUEE Ride & Drive track, attendees can test drive commercial vehicles to examine trucks, engines, transmissions, brakes, safety and collision warning systems, fuel and GPS management systems, and hybrid and alternative fuel systems.
New for ICUEE 2011 are crane and rigging safety demonstrations from the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators and International Powered Access Federation. ICUEE will again feature a general show safety demo area with a focus on topics such as live-line safety and pole-top/fall protection.
ICUEE also features an extensive education program where experts on the latest safety, regulatory, operational and technological issues affecting the utility and construction industry are on hand. In 2011, new workshop and certification programs complement more than 100 learning opportunities covering underground, aboveground and overhead applications, new technologies and the latest industry, regulatory and management trends.
New keynote sessions at ICUEE 2011 will focus on energy and safety. In “Energy Policy – Outlook for the Industry,” Vic Staffieri, chairman and CEO of Louisville Gas and Electric and KU Energy, will discuss how the industry may be affected by potential energy legislation and regulatory action, and will cover renewable energy and development of clean technologies.
In “Hooked on Safety – Leading Safety Initiatives,” motivational speaker Billy Robbins will discuss how companies can implement behavioral-based safety initiatives that will change the way all employees think about safety and create a fresh commitment to safety within a company.
The 2011 ICUEE education program includes new co-located programming from the Association of Equipment Management Professionals, Underground Construction Technology, International Erosion Control Association, National Association of Trailer Manufacturers, SAE International and Scaffolding Industry Association.
ICUEE attendees will have access to the iP Safety Conference & Expo. Sponsored by Incident Prevention magazine, the event is the utility industry’s leading educational opportunity for safety, training and operations professionals.
The National Rural Water Association’s H2O-XPO is also co-located at ICUEE. H2O-XPO brings together top officials, decision-makers, buyers and new technology in the water and wastewater industries.
From its inception until today, ICUEE remains at the forefront with its equipment demonstrations that allow attendees to make highly effective competitive comparisons. Now, the annual event’s extensive education program complements the displays of the industry’s latest equipment technology and product innovations.
For more information, visit www.icuee.com.