Underground Infrastructure Conference (UIC) Review!
By Renée Lauzon-Martin - General Manager, HDD Broker LLC - April 2, 2024
Entirely my opinion but here's what I thought, let me know your opinion in the comments!
✨PROS:✨
- Efforts are being made to revive the HDD aspect of this show, and the Horizontal Directional Drilling Association is doing a great job with outreach to contractors.
- HDD Reunion was a profound and nostalgic way to recognize important people in the industry.
- Vendors liked how concentrated the show is on trenchless, instead of being lost in huge shows like Con-Expo.
- I didn't go, but I heard good things about the quality of the educational programs
- The return in Houston in March 2025 will surely increase attendance.
⚡️CONS:⚡️
- No HDD equipment on display (not one drill! 😢)
- Very little foot traffic
- Not well advertised
- Trade shows are evolving and consolidating, there needs to be an excitement factor to attract attendees.
- The prevalence of social media means it's cheap and impactful for companies to launch new equipment online.
I'm not giving up the UIC show (which will always be the UCT show in my heart), but it wasn't very busy this year and will need to step it up to regain the excitement and energy it used to generate.
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