This year’s North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV) takes place Oct. 28-31—and with so much to see and do under one roof, it’s important to arrive with a plan to be sure you leave with plenty of ideas to take back home to your fleet.
All the major Class 8 truck manufacturers—including International, Volvo, Mack, Peterbilt, Freightliner, Western Star, Kenworth and Hino—are exhibiting at this year’s show. In addition, attendees who came to the inaugural show in 2017 will note a larger floor plan, a greater number of exhibitors and a wider range of products this year than were at the show two years ago, according to NACV Show Manager Carmen Diaz.
“We have added a brand-new Connectivity Zone, where attendees can compare telematics systems side by side,” Diaz said. “In addition, we have beefed up our educational offerings; comprehensive sessions throughout the show offer discussion and solutions for the industry’s top issues of the day.”
Education opportunities will be a major component of this year’s show, she added. Sessions will cover trucking topics from today’s cybersecurity offerings to advancements in alternative fuel options and everything in between.
“Tuesday’s ATA Symposium welcomes exhibitors and attendees alike to tackle complicated industry topics from cybersecurity disaster prevention to fleet maintenance strategy. Wednesday morning’s Ask the Expert Workshops are specifically geared towards fleets, offering facilitated networking workshops built around specific industry issues of the day,” Diaz said. “ATRI’s Operational Benchmarking Workshops cover high-level industry benchmarking information followed by tailored advice for fleets according to their size and type. The Solutions Theaters are also a new addition, with industry education provided by the top media publications like Fleet Service Technology. The Alternative Fuel Solution Theater will also be a new addition to this year’s event.”
Events returning to this year’s show include the North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s “Run on Less” event, the Natural Gas Vehicles for America annual conference and the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association annual luncheon and briefing.
“Feedback from attendees in 2017 included a high level of satisfaction with the NACV Show’s business to business environment—this allowed for the highest quality of interactions with key supplier executives,” Diaz said.
This year’s NACV show will again take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and registration is open now. With so much to take in this year, Diaz’s best advice to attendees is to prepare a show strategy ahead of time.
“Visit the website and review education topics and conference programming that would be of interest and review the floor plan to plot out exhibitor meetings—they are a must,” she said. “I would also suggest reaching out to the key exhibitors prior to attending to set up a meeting time. This makes sure the right executives are available and other meetings/walking the show can be managed around the key meetings.”
