GIC 2024, Europe’s largest dedicated concrete exhibition taking place in April 2024 at Piacenza Expo in Italy, looks set to surpass the success of its 2022 edition with strong stand sales and sponsorship from over 60 trade associations so far. Meanwhile, new features including the Italian Demolition & Recycling Awards, an outdoor demo area, and a dedicated tower cranes conference are set to deliver even more value for participants at this one-stop-shop for the concrete sector.
GIC 2024, scheduled for 18-20th April at the Piacenza Expo in Italy, is set to be Europe’s largest dedicated concrete exhibition, involving more participants – especially from outside of Italy – than ever before. A one-stop-shop for all things concrete, GIC will showcase materials, components, equipment, and technology from across the segment, giving a comprehensive snapshot of its current status and future direction.
Beyond mere concrete production, GIC will spotlight products and services for the entire lifecycle of concrete – from aggregates extraction and processing and cement production to the pre-fabrication, construction, maintenance, demolition, and recycling of concrete structures. Exhibitors will include suppliers of concrete batching plants, conveyors, crushing and screening equipment, truck mixers, formwork and accessories, screeds, concrete finishers, chemicals and additives, tower cranes, excavators, wheeled loaders, and more.
New awards, demo area, and conference
Recognising the growing importance of concrete demolition and recycling as the construction industry seeks to improve its sustainability, GIC 2024 will host the first ever Italian Demolition & Recycling Awards (IDRA), as well as the latest edition of the Italian Concrete Technology Awards (ICTA).
Another way GIC is evolving to provide even greater value for its participants is to now include a demo area. Filled with sand and aggregates to simulate a quarry environment, several OEMs have already committed to demonstrating their cutting-edge wheeled loaders and crushers in this new interactive setting.
Over in the auditorium, GIC 2024 will spotlight the crucial role of tower cranes in constructing and demolishing concrete structures. For the first time, the event will host a dedicated conference on tower cranes, emphasising their use in concrete mixing, formwork, and overall material management for reinforced concrete projects.
Meanwhile, the conference on the construction and maintenance of civil and military airport runways will make a return, attracting leaders from academia, airport management, and infrastructure authorities.
“We don’t just want each edition of GIC to be bigger, we also want it to be better and are constantly seeking new ways to continue GIC’s hard-earned reputation as the premier platform for networking, staying up-to-date on industry trends, and exploring groundbreaking technologies within the concrete sector,” says Fabio Potestà, Director of Mediapoint & Exhibitions, the organiser of GIC..
Strong stand sales
Momentum for the show is building with current bookings indicating that GIC 2024 is well-positioned to surpass the 234 exhibitors and 5,000 visitors recorded during the 2022 edition, which was impacted by COVID. Meanwhile, more than 60 trade associations and bodies have already confirmed their sponsorship, underscoring the growing anticipation and enthusiasm for the show.
GIC 2024 builds on the success of organisers Mediapoint & Exhibitions’ last event, GIS 2023, also held in Piacenza, in October 2023. With 432 exhibitors, this showcase for the lifting, industrial and port handling and heavy transport sectors was the largest ever event to be organised by Mediapoint & Exhibitions and shares the same highly specialised and concentrated format, which bodes well for GIC in April.
Fabio Potestà notes the crossover between GIS and GIC, emphasising the importance of lifting equipment in handling concrete on construction sites and the need for specialist vehicles to transport large pre-cast components.
“Our concrete audience who attended GIS in October were amazed at the buzzing atmosphere and the number of machines sold on the stands, solidifying their confidence in GIC,” he says.
While approaching his forecast with caution, Potestà expresses his own confidence in GIC’s fifth edition. “More and more companies are recognising the value of our focused and concise format, which provides exhibitors and visitors with greater returns on their time and financial investments, compared to larger, general construction tradeshows. I am confident that GIC 2024 will be our biggest and best yet!” he concludes.
