▶ CONCRETE

“Leading up to the event, there have been only a few small cancellations from participating manufacturers with very minimal impact,” Steven Pomerantz, senior marketing manager for organizer Informa Exhibitions, said in an email before the show’s opening. “Attendee registration is pacing at a rate of double that of the last event held in June and is on track with events traded prior to the pandemic, underscoring the mission-critical need industry connection.”

Organizers say they are following local health guidelines, including Nevada’s mask mandate in public spaces regardless of vaccination status. They have also reminded attendees and exhibitors that the rule applies to indoor spaces, including casinos, meeting spaces and hospitality venues.

The pandemic has not discouraged some new companies from attending. Australian boot brand Blundstone held its first exhibit at World of Concrete. The company makes rubber work and steel-toe boots, but its casual Chelsea boots are more popular in the U.S.

Work and safety sales manager Fernando Nazco said Blundstone chose this convention to break into the U.S. work and safety market.

“Everyone else in the world, it’s the opposite,” Nazco said. “But here, we’re known for our leisure products. It’s a good way to capitalize on the success of the leisure (boots) in the U.S.”

The show continues Wednesday morning with one of its major draws: Masonry Madness. The outdoor event features four masonry competitions with prizes that include cash, a Ford F-250 truck and a Kubota XL1140 utility vehicle.

The highlight of the competition, the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500, pits 23 teams of masons and their tenders against each other to build the best and largest 26-foot-long brick wall with the fewest errors. This year’s bricklayer event marks its 20th anniversary.