The event is called the World of Concrete and it’s a world I know little of. But for more than 40 years, concrete and masonry professionals have gathered to learn, to compete and to have fun at World of Concrete, this year held January 23-26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The best description of the event comes on the 2018 Program & Exhibits Guide: The World of Concrete features “groundbreaking products, career-boosting seminars, hands-on demos and action-packed competitions”.

Show statistics: The World of Concrete 2018 boasted more than 1,500 exhibiting companies in more than 725,000 net square feet of exhibit space. The event also offered both 90-minute and 3-hour seminar sessions and more than 150 skill-building seminars with top industry experts.

One of the things that surprised me about World of Concrete was just how many organizations are in this specialized world. Here is what to me was a rather astounding list of World of Concrete sponsoring organizations: American Concrete Institute, American Concrete Paving Association, American Concrete Pumping Association, American Shotcrete Association, American Society of Concrete Contractors, Associated Construction Distributors International, Basement Health Association, Concrete Foundations Association, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association, International Concrete Repair Institute, International Grooving & Grinding Association, Portland Cement Association, Post-Tensioning Institute, Pre-cast, Pre-stressed Concrete Institute, Tilt-up Concrete Association and Wire-Reinforcement Institute.

Wow.