Top 10 Tips for Prepping to Survive CONEXPO ’26

If you’re reading this, you’re part of the construction industry. You know how to prepare for a hard day’s work, and you don’t mind weather changes that blow cold air down your back in the morning and bake the top of your hard hat in the afternoon. Welcome to Las Vegas where all this plus a whole lot of walking and standing around awaits. Even if you’ve attended the show before, you might want a list of our Top 10 Tips for Prepping to Survive CONEXPO ’26.

10. Get Your Daily Highlights on Your Phone

AsphaltPro Magazine will share a quick-n-dirty Show Daily each morning of the show that you can only catch if you’re signed up for our free Toolbox Tips email. If you don’t already receive these weekly tailgate talk topics in your email, then visit this subscribe link to get on the list before you leave for Vegas! https://theasphaltpro.com/upgrade-daily-toolbox-talks/

9. Trade in the Work Boots for Walking Shoes

You might be used to long days walking beside a mill or standing with a flag to protect your colleagues in the work zone. Even if most of your day is spent in the cab of a machine, the work boots you broke in last season won’t be the best option for walking around the halls and lots that make up CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE. You want to break in a comfortable pair of walking shoes before you get to the 2.9 million square feet of exhibit space. (And hey! Turn on your step-tracking app before you leave your hotel because everyone will be comparing their totals at the end of each day.)

8. Scooters and Strollers ’R Us

If you have anyone on your team with mobility issues, renting an electric scooter to help them get around the show is an option. (And you might want a stroller for young family members.) CONEXPO has a link to a rental spot they recommend called ScootAround, but you’ll want to reserve your device before you arrive: https://scootaround.com/en/las-vegas

7. Where you Stay Matters

By the time you receive the February issue of AsphaltPro Magazine, you should already have your hotel booked. But you can still double-check the free shuttle service many hotels are offering to help guests get to the designated drop-off points of the festival grounds, and the blue, diamond and platinum lots. Check out the CECA26 Hotel Shuttle Transpo Flyer link on the CONEXPO website for details.

Watch This Space for CONEXPO Updates

6. Use Your Badge Wisely

When you land in Vegas, you’ll see kiosks at the airport and at a variety of hotels where you can scan your QR code to have your badge printed out. Then you merely bring the badge with you to each day of the show. Keep in mind, the badge is also your ticket to discounts at participating attractions, restaurants and shops around Las Vegas, too. Visit https://www.vegasmeansbusiness.com/planning-tools/offers/attendee-deals/ for tips.

5. Make reservations in advance

Speaking of using your badge for discounts, make sure you can get into the places you want to visit. Vegas is built to accommodate around 40 million visitors per year. CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE overlap the annual Wedding & Portrait Photographers Conference Expo and Nevada Homeschool Convention (NEVCON 2026) in addition to the UFC Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira fight on March 7, which means hundreds of thousands of tourists are vying for the seat you want at the steak house. Or at the Jorge Medina & Josi Cuen Latin Music Event at Mandalay Bay.

4. Have Backup Power

As a construction worker, you know to have redundancies and backups on the job site. Think that way before leaving your hotel room, too. Include an external power bank in your backpack to charge your cell phone (or tablet). Considering the battery drain from the CONEXPO app, the Uber app, all the videos you’ll take during the day, and everything else each day, you may find yourself stressing over re-connecting when no one’s at the designated spot around 10 p.m.

3. Make a Plan with Extra Time

You’re a contractor, so you know the adage: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It’s true when you come to CONEXPO-CON/AGG. If the shuttle drops you at the platinum lot Tuesday morning and you think that means you can “do” the south hall that day, God help you. Instead, make a plan for which parking lot or drop-off point will be your starting line and map your route to see specific vendors and education sessions that impact your operations. Make sure you plan for traffic delays (see the stroller and scooter entry above), hydration breaks, cool distractions in booths that weren’t on your list, and the size of the show. As with most of Vegas’ landmarks, the west hall might look like it’s “right over there,” but it takes a long while to walk to!

2. Drink water

As a contractor, you understand the importance of staying hydrated on the job. Remember that Las Vegas is in a desert. As medically invasive as this sounds, if you’ve been walking the tradeshow floor for four hours without needing a biology break, you’re dehydrating! Drink plenty of water while you’re walking around to avoid medical mishaps.

1. Stop by the AsphaltPro booth GL30901

That point about making a plan? Make sure it includes stopping by the AsphaltPro Magazine booth in the grand lobby, between the north and central halls. We’ll have experts in the booth at set times (see the sidebar in this show preview) and fun stuff to give away. We look forward to seeing you in Vegas and talking asphalt with you!