Springtime fun was in the air as the solid waste industry gathered to take in the bright lights of Las Vegas during WasteExpo 2006. The show, which was originally scheduled for New Orleans but was moved because of Hurricane Katrina, was held April 4-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

This year's exhibit hall featured 454 exhibitors (up from 445 in 2005). More than 115 exhibitors were new to WasteExpo this year, and the Technology Pavilion on the show floor expanded by about 25 percent compared with the 2005 show. Overall, the square footage of the show floor increased by 5.5 percent from 2005.

The 2006 show attracted 7,400 industry buyers from all 50 states, down slightly from about 7,800 buyers in 2005. International attendees were present as well. As part of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Buyer Program, WasteExpo hosted more than 920 international attendees from 66 countries. The Medical Waste Conference, which was co-located with WasteExpo, featured more than 125 participants and featured sessions on such topics as veterinary waste and trauma scene waste.