Louisville, Ky. (September 28, 2023) - This week, The Utility Expo made its triumphant return to Louisville, Ky, with a record-setting gathering of over 21,000 utility construction professionals from all 50 states and 60 countries, converging at the Kentucky Exposition Center. These industry experts came together to experience firsthand the latest equipment and cutting-edge technologies that bolster the utility sector. This remarkable event drew an unparalleled assembly of industry leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders, firmly cementing its position as the foremost event in the sector.
“From every perspective, this year’s Utility Expo surpassed all expectations, offering an abundance of sights and experiences for attendees,” said John Rozum, The Utility Expo show director. “Our goal is to bring utility pros together with exhibitors and equipment manufacturers to advance the utility industry and showcase how the equipment, products and technologies help keep our communities working and thriving."
The Utility Expo, the largest trade show in Kentucky and third largest show in North America, featured over 900 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and solutions for the utility construction industry. Exhibits covered a record 1.5 million net square feet and included the show’s signature interactive product demonstrations. Registered attendance of over 21,000 smashed the previous attendance record set in 2019.
The Relationship Between the Utility Industry and The Utility Expo
The construction of utility infrastructure plays a pivotal role in modern society, offering a multitude of benefits that are indispensable to society’s well-being and progress. At its core, modernized utility infrastructure provides reliability, ensuring a consistent provision of essential services like electricity, clean water, and Internet connectivity to homes, businesses, and industries. This reliability, in turn, forms the foundation for economic growth by facilitating industrial production, attracting businesses, and generating employment opportunities.
Utility construction professionals flock to The Utility Expo as it serves as an unrivaled hub for networking opportunities within the industry, fostering invaluable relationships that can drive their careers and businesses forward. Moreover, attendees are drawn by the promise of gaining profound industry insights. This event serves as a conduit to the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in utility construction, ensuring participants remain on the cutting edge of their field.
“I like coming to The Utility Expo so I can put a face to a name when talking with vendors,” said Ryan W. who works for a utility company in New York. “We get to see what is new that will help make the job easier and safer.”
The equipment showcased by the exhibitors offered a firsthand look at the newest tools and machinery, allowing professionals to test and assess their relevance to their work. Educational sessions and workshops equipped attendees with training and certifications that elevated their skillsets and career prospects. The Utility Expo is a dynamic nexus where networking, knowledge, innovation, and business opportunities converge, making it a must-attend event for utility construction professionals.
“By all measures, this was an outstanding Utility Expo with more to see and experience than ever before,” said Jim Glazer, The Utility Expo show chair and President of Elliott Equipment Company. “The Utility Expo is always a tremendous opportunity to make lasting industry connections and take advantage of education that helps participants continue to grow and stay competitive. At Eliott Equipment Company, we look forward to this important event for our industry where we can show off our equipment and products we offer the industry.”
The Utility Expo is the largest event for utility professionals and construction contractors seeking comprehensive insights into the latest industry technologies, innovations, and trends. The show is best known for equipment test drives and interactive product demonstrations.
“We came to The Utility Expo to see what’s new,” said Jason B., a utility contractor from North Carolina. “We want to see what we can improve on and what we can do better for our customers.”
Expanded Educational and Networking Opportunities
Offering valuable information and insights on the latest trends, innovations and best practices is a hallmark of every edition of The Utility Expo. This year’s show featured an education lineup that provided a mix of field classrooms, educational workshops, and free sessions talking about everything from new technologies, traffic safety, underground utility locating and sessions that allowed for participants to earn professional development hours (PDHs).
“Our education offerings at the show range from peer-to-peer demos to professional instruction to free drop-in sessions,” said Rozum. “Whether you prefer to learn in the classroom or in the driver’s seat, The Utility Expo has you covered.”
An emphasis on safety
While safety has always been at the forefront of The Utility Expo’s education lineup, this year the show joined forces with three other organizations to bring an expanded lineup of offerings.
As part of the new Safety Symposium, the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) brought a wealth of safety-related educational workshops to the show. In addition, certification training related to flagger certification and traffic control technician, were also offered.
The Utility Expo also collaborated with the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), to bring the NUCA Lounge to the show, that served as a welcoming central gathering point for its members attending The Utility Expo. NUCA also offered a confined-space-entry safety course for attendees at the show.
Peer-to-Peer Experiences
This year saw the return of The Jobsite, from Planet Underground that hosted hourly, free peer-to-peer demonstrations of Predictive Analytics Software, Electromagnetic (EM) locating, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE), Underground RFID Marking Devices, and GIS Mobile Applications.
The Jobsite allowed attendees to experience exactly what it’s like to work on a site, but also spread the word about the importance of damage prevention and how equipment can play an important role in protecting underground utilities.
According to Gus B. from Arkansas, who has attended the event since 2017, he enjoys The Utility Expo because he can see the latest and greatest tech and learn new tools and equipment.
“We see new tools and equipment and learn about new processes,” said Gus. “Every year we pick up something good that helps our company and makes us do a better job for our customers.”
Located in the North Hall Lobby, The Utility Expo’s Community Zone was the perfect place for attendees and exhibitors to take a few minutes out of their busy day to rest, recharge and enjoy one another’s company.
Visitors were able to enjoy:
- Networking
- Comfortable seating and charging stations
- Prize giveaways
- Live music, along with complimentary food and drink
- Bourbon sampling
- The Utility Expo Show Store with exclusive merchandise
- And an information desk to answer show and Louisville questions
The trademark of The Utility Expo was the spirit of innovation that permeated every corner. Pioneering technologies and groundbreaking solutions took center stage, underscoring the event's commitment to driving progress and shaping the future of utilities.
"We are thrilled with the overwhelming success of this year's The Utility Expo,” said Rozum. "The record-breaking attendance, exhibitor engagement, exceptional educational content, and groundbreaking innovation all reflect the incredible dedication and passion within the utility industry. We're grateful for the support and participation of all involved."
Mark your calendar: The Utility Expo will return to Louisville and the Kentucky Exposition Center October 7-9, 2025. Keep up to date on the show at https://www.theutilityexpo.com/.
About The Utility Expo
The Utility Expo is the largest event for utility professionals and construction contractors seeking comprehensive insights into the latest industry technologies, innovations, and trends. The biennial trade show, known for equipment test drives and interactive product demonstrations, takes place in Louisville, Ky. The next event will be Oct. 7-9, 2025.
About the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
AEM is the North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 2.3 million jobs and contributes roughly $316 billion to the economy every year. AEM owns and produces The Utility Expo.
