Savvy industry professionals looking to get an edge up on their competition and prepare for the future economic upturn will be at the upcoming World of Asphalt Show and Conference and co-located AGG1 Aggregates Forum and Expo March 9-12, 2009 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. In the short-term is the economic stimulus package with infrastructure spending, and longer term is the need to reauthorize federal transportation legislation that expires later in 2009.

Attendees at the 2009 AGG1 and World of Asphalt will have access to more companies and a broader diversity of products than ever before. The number of exhibiting companies signing on for World of Asphalt is trending higher than the last show, held in 2007, and is on target to break a show record - current numbers are 200-plus exhibitors using more than 58,000 net square feet of exhibit space. The inaugural co-located AGG1 show has surpassed all of its exhibit sales goals, with 130-plus exhibitors taking more than 27,000 net square feet of exhibit space. That's a total of over 330 exhibitors utilizing more than 85,000 net square feet.

Networking with peers and competitors is an important show component. Advance registration trending is not only more robust than expected given the economic climate, but is also ahead of the last show's numbers at a comparable time in the show cycle.

"World of Asphalt and AGG1 offer real value by connecting attendees and exhibitors in a very cost-effective way," noted Show Director Sara Truesdale Mooney. "And we have partnered with other organizations to truly make this an industry gathering place."