Truck Topics

Expo report: Turning the corner

"We turned a corner with this show, in that I believe we have established a new standard for the Expo.  I think that this marks the beginning of a whole new era for the event and we have to thank the sponsors, exhibitors and the expedited community in general!" says Expedite Expo's Show Manager Lawrence McCord.

Expedite Expo 2006 is in the books and as McCord says in those opening comments, this year's event represents a milestone in the relatively short history of expedited trucking's original trade show.

After five years as an outdoor event at the Detroiter Truck Stop in Woodhaven, Michigan, the 2006 Expo moved indoors to the Roberts Convention Centre in Wilmington, Ohio.  With an exhibit floor of over 50,000 square feet filled with over 100 exhibitors, attendees were able to leisurely roam the display floor in climate-controlled comfort. 

In fact, Show Manager McCord says that he received a few updates on current Woodhaven weather conditions from exhibitors who were grateful to be spared the Michigan heat of late July.

It would be appropriate at this point to inject the first of many thank you's - first, to the staff and management of the Roberts Centre. This was the first event of this type the venue had hosted and the fine folks at this facility made this Expo a memorable and extremely pleasant experience.  

This year's event was the first Expo held on a weekend and, judging by attendance figures, the Friday and Saturday show times met with the attendees' approval.

Ryan Henary of FedEx Custom Critical says the feedback he received from his recruiters and staff was very positive.  "The show had a very targeted audience and it resulted in meeting prospective expediters who are very qualified."

Highlights
The Chrome Shop Mafia of CMT's "Trick My Truck" series was an unqualified hit of the show.  These wizards of metal fabrication treated their fans with the utmost respect and demonstrated that they're truly nice people and real professionals.  Thanks to Mafia members Bryan Martin, Scott St. Germain and C.B. Grimes!

Along with the Chrome Shop Mafia's "Inferno" truck, the Expo featured show trucks like Dale Ison's "Dragonmaster" tractor-trailer and his "Heroes Truck," both with unbelievable paint jobs.  Gary Collins' Bud Boss pulling truck, a perennial Expo favorite, was also on hand.

Trucking music singer/songwriter Joey Holiday kept the music flowing on both Friday and Saturday along with special appearances by both blues and bluegrass bands.

The Expedite Expo somehow wouldn't be complete without  radio legend Dave Nemo conducting his live interviews and broadcasts from the show, in addition to  MC duties he performs at the show's closing ceremonies. Dave was on hand for the full two days of the event and he's a great ambassador for the show and expedited trucking in general.  Thanks Dave!

"I really enjoyed it, it was pretty neat! The Heroes Truck was very impressive!  I wanted to see the new trucks and what's out there.  Some of the things they're doing with truck sleepers now are unreal - You would think you're in an RV!  My wife saw those and she said, 'let's get one and hit the road!'" - Jeff Gray, Liberty Township, OH

The Expo featured a total of twelve Driver Workshop sessions over the two days of the show with topics ranging from 'What is Expediting?' and 'Truck Maintenance' to a Drivers' Roundtable Discussion.  The Workshops saw a great turnout and special thanks goes out to all of the presenters for donating their time and expertise.

Owner-Operator Linda Caffee was one of the organizers of the "Women’s Issues" forum and she says that her group's audience included team drivers, solo female drivers and other experienced expedite drivers.  She says that some of the younger audience members got the ball rolling with their questions and the veteran drivers responded with answers.  "It was a great sharing of ideas with around 25-30 attendees."

"Everyone was in an 'up' mood, from attendees to exhibitors.  "It was a great experience," says Ms. Micki McIntyre, Director of Business Development for ExpeditersOnline.com.  "The Express-1 Breakfast for the Forum members was a huge success.  It gave the members a chance to put a face with a name and the opportunity to develop new friendships."

"I plan on entering the business in a few weeks, so I was looking for information.  I talked to Terry O'Connell on Friday and Saturday and found him to be very helpful and informative.  I talked to a number of expedited carriers and the truck dealers were helpful as well.  The Expo was a very positive experience."
James Belville, Holland, Michigan

This year's "Progressive Insurance Expedite Driver's Choice Award" recognized the best of the expedited trucking industry with the attendees acting as judges.  Attendees were able to cast ballots for their favorite truck or cargo van displayed by a dealer exhibitor.

Their ballot was also an entry to win a $1000.00 cash price at the presentation of the award during the Expo's closing ceremonies.  

And, the winner:  Freightliner of Knoxville for its 960 Express Cruiser! Taking home the $1,000.00 cash prize was Allen O'Dell of Columbus, Ohio.

And, speaking of the closing ceremonies.  Show Manager McCord wanted to end the 2006 edition of the show on a high note, so he persuaded a group of exhibitors and sponsors to don what could best be described as 70's-era 'pimp' outfits and to dance to the Queen hit, "Another One Bites the Dust".

The ceremonies also featured a sentimental moment when long-time friend and forum moderator Terry O'Connell presented McCord with a framed document that expressed the appreciation of many members of the expedited trucking community for McCord's efforts on behalf of the industry.

The festivities didn't end with the close of the show, however.  On Sunday morning a group of 20+ expediters headed a few miles down the road from the Expo site and enjoyed a full day of riding the coasters at Kings Island amusement park.
 
McCord says that the final attendance tally indicates that over 3,500 visitors enjoyed the two days of the show.  That means a new Expo attendance record has been established and McCord states, "Thanks to all of our show sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers and especially, all of our attendee's!  We can't wait until next year!"  

Special thanks to:
Debbie, Joshua and Victoria McCord, Terry and Rene' O'Connell, Bob and Linda Caffee, The EO Mod Squad and to a host of other volunteers who donated their time and services to help make this a great event.

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