Southern 2007 Comfort

WASTE EXPO 2007 rolled into Atlanta in May, proving that Sherman wasn't the only visitor to set the town on fire.

The numbers are in and this year's WasteExpo was a big success. The show floor, which hummed with activity from open to close, held 550 exhibitors, compared to 454 at the 2006 event in Las Vegas. One-hundred and ninety-three of the exhibitors were new to the event. The square footage of the show floor itself was expanded by 12 percent from 2006 to accommodate the larger attendance.

Kathleen Woods-Richardson, director of solid waste management for Miami-Dade County, Fla., Solid Waste Department, says she found the floor to be “very well-organized and extensive. It's perhaps the largest amount of equipment I've seen.”

Exhibitors enjoyed plenty of traffic. The show was attended by 7,868 industry buyers, a number that does not include exhibitor personnel, staff, speakers, press and other attendees who filled the Georgia World Congress Center. The show also hosted 730 international guests from 63 countries. More than 120 people attended the co-located Medical Waste Conference.

Similarly, the WasteExpo Technology Pavilion grew from 29 companies occupying 3,900 sq. ft. in 2006 to 39 companies filling 4,900 sq. ft. at this year's show.

Want in on the excitement? Start making plans for WasteExpo 2008, to be held May 5-8 in Chicago. For more information on exhibiting or attending, visit www.wasteexpo.com.