A Recap of the 2016 Precast Show

The 2016 Precast Show was held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee earlier this month. With over a thousand attendees and 200 exhibitors, the Precast Show is the largest North American trade show for the precast concrete industry. For the first time ever, the show this year was hosted in combination with the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) and the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA). Committee meetings, education sessions, and award luncheons were just some of the events included at the show.

Meadow Burke exhibited with not only a new booth but the most centrally located booth at the show. The booth was split into two halves; the precast products and the ‘innovation studio’ where the latest released products were showcased and where the live product demonstrations were held. The open layout, which included chairs and a couch, gave the booth a more inviting feel for visitors and customers.

The live product demonstrations, hosted by Lance Osborne, featured the Seismic Chord Connector, a ductile steel chord connector designed to reduce seismic damage in precast structures. Also featured was the Burke Lift, a unique and innovative one-clutch system that includes one ring clutch, one void former and one anchor style for face and edge lifting. Many structural precasters were interested in the Seismic Chord Connector and were eager to review the test report while utility precasters were intrigued by the Burke Lift and the utilization of one clutch for 5” or thicker panels when used in the face and edge of their precast.

Lane Osborne was also invited by NPCA to host a presentation around lifting devices for precast products. The presentation was held at the Opryland Hotel in the exhibitor hall.

Meadow Burke hosted the Women in Precast – a social event for women who work in the precast industry to meet and network with one another.

Overall, the show was a great success and Meadow Burke is looking forward to returning to exhibit at next year’s show in Cleveland, Ohio.