NHES post-show report

STRONG TURNOUT FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NHES

After waiting out a pandemic-forced hiatus, the industry comes out to support National Heavy Equipment Show.

It should come as no surprise that show organizers were ecstatic with this year’s National Heavy Equipment Show (NHES). More than 9,000 industry professionals filled the halls of Mississauga, Ontario’s

International Centre for the first edition of NHES since the COVID-19 outbreak. This year’s show also represented a special milestone as the 2022 edition marked the event’s 25th anniversary.

“We’re back! Shows are back!” proclaimed Master Promotion’s national show manager, Mark Cusack, in a conversation as the event wrapped up on the Friday.

“Leading up to the show, we were very happy with the exhibitor turn out, but we were worried about the visitor numbers,” he admitted. Those concerns went away quickly as the turnstiles opened and the show floor began to fill up. Day 1 visitor turnout exceeded the Thursday attendance figure from 2019 and attendance was tracking very well as the end of the final day started to come into view. “We are very happy with the numbers.”

And it wasn’t just the volume of visitors through the turnstiles that impressed exhibitors; it was the fact that key decision makers and purchasers came out in full force to this year’s show.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of quality buyers here, so the right people are coming to the show,” stated Michel Marchand, vice-president of Canadian and U.S. sales with LiuGong North America. “Traffic has been good. The public is excited to have a show. They haven’t had one for a number of years. I think they are happy with what they have seen.”

“The visitors are legitimate buyers,” added Rob Persaud of International Power Systems. “There were not as many tire kickers this year. It’s been a wonderful show. Definitely the one to be in.”

“The National Heavy Equipment Show remains one of the biggest events bringing the industry together in Canada. It was a pleasure to welcome everyone back to the show after a two-year hiatus,” summed up Cusack.

The next edition of National Heavy Equipment Show will take place in 2024, being held once again at the International Centre. Stay tuned to www.nhes.ca, or follow the show on social media, for details as they are announced.