METALCON ’08 Spotlights Roofing, Walls, Cold-Formed Steel & Much More

By Shawn Zuver, editorial/content director

METALCON International 2008, the all-metal trade show and exhibition for the construction industry, is nearly here. Sponsored by the Metal Construction Association, METALCON 2008 will be held October 1st through 3rd in the Baltimore Convention Center.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending every METALCON, dating back to the first one that took place in 1991 in Washington, DC. This year marks the first time that the show has returned to the Baltimore-Washington region, and brings with it many of those same feelings of excitement that surrounded the first gathering.

I’d like to offer a quick list of events that you’ll probably want to check out while you’re attending METALCON in Baltimore. If you haven’t made up your mind yet about attending, there’s still time to take advantage of the 15% Early Bird Savings on seminars, and free exhibit hall passes, through September 30, 2008. Click here to register. And, if you’re reading this after METALCON 2008, it’s never too early to begin making plans for the next show. Go to www.metalcon.com for details throughout the year.

Things To Watch For At METALCON 2008

Seminars and Special Programs. I mentioned them earlier, and collectively they’re one of METALCON’s greatest assets. You can select from 40 Seminars and 7 Special Programs, many which offer continuing education LU's. There are many, many great choices, so I’ll stop short of mentioning any of them by name. I’ll simply say that you’ll find the most comprehensive array of metal construction-related seminars that exists anywhere.

Hands-On Demonstrations. The Metal Construction Association conducts outstanding programs in the Demonstration Area, situated in the Exhibit Hall. Wall Panels, Residential Roofing and Commercial Roofing are each covered on Wednesday, October 1st, and Thursday, October 2nd, while Tool Day takes over the Demo Area on Friday, October 3rd.

New Products & Innovations. More than 80,000 sq. ft. of Exhibit Hall space is packed with the latest in products and services for architects/designers and contractors. Inside the Exhibit Hall, there will also be a Green Island, featuring environmentally-friendly products.

Steel Framing Alliance Dinner. Celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2008, the Steel Framing Alliance (SFA) will mark the milestone with a special dinner and reception on Wednesday, October 1st, starting at 6:00 p.m. in the Hyatt Regency Baltimore. SFA is a market development group dedicated to helping the growth of cold-formed (light-gauge) steel framing for commercial and residential use. During the anniversary dinner, SFA’s technical arm, the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI), will present its first annual Award For Innovative Design.

Steel-Framed Home. Using cold-formed steel framing, a 2,500 sq. ft. home will be on display in the Exhibit Hall, built on site for METALCON 2008. As in past years, this home will be donated to a severely injured war veteran and his family, through Homes For Our Troops (www.homesforourtroops.org). The presentation ceremony—always a touching, inspiring event—will be held during the show.

Networking Opportunities. You’ll have the chance to be face-to-face with thousands of contractors, architects, suppliers and other metal construction industry executives at METALCON 2008. Past shows have had attendance topping 8,000 people. It’s the greatest single gathering that exists in the world of metal construction.

Win Prizes Throughout The Show. There will be a number of prizes given away throughout the three days of METALCON exhibits, including a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. You can also win one of the 6 Garmin GPS units that we’ll be presenting from the DesignandBuildwithMetal.com booth. You can sign up for our drawings at the information booth in the show registration area or at our booth, #2443.

I hope to see you in Baltimore!

Shawn Zuver is editorial/content director for DesignandBuildwithMetal.com. He has been covering the metal construction industry, including residential and non-residential construction, since 1985. To contact Shawn, call (419) 581-2051 or email shawnz@designandbuildwithmetal.com.

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