Metalcon announces show highlights and educational programming for Las Vegas

Metalcon has announced its program lineup for this year’s annual conference and tradeshow, scheduled for Oct. 18-20, 2023, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

From intensive preshow workshops beginning on Oct. 16 to more than 35 free educational sessions located inside the exhibit hall to inspiring keynotes, top industry experts will share their knowledge with attendees who are eligible to earn nearly a year’s worth of continuing education credits, including AIA learning units among others.

Contractor and Denver business owner Rico León, HGTV host of "Rico to the Rescue,” will present the keynote “HGTV’s Rico to the Rescue: Real Life Scenarios – From Nightmares to Dreams Come True” on Oct. 18 at 10:00 a.m. He will share some of his most unforgettable experiences and lessons learned from residential construction projects gone wrong and then turned around. On the following day at the same time, Ken Simonson, chief economist of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America with more than 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating, and communicating about economic and tax issues, will explore the current state and outlook for construction in his keynote, “Construction Outlook for 2024: Forbidding or Reason for Cheer?”

Back for a third consecutive year, the two-day Architect’s Experience will focus on the use of metal as a design and construction component to help architects, designers, specifiers, and engineers solve tough architectural, structural, environmental, and building performance challenges. It will offer exclusive education sessions presented by award-winning architects and industry experts. Keynote sessions will include “Designing for Las Vegas: A Full House of Finishes for Allegiant Stadium to Enhance, Protect & Cool” by Christopher Sotiropulos, vice president of stadium operations for the Las Vegas Raiders, and Gary Edgar, manager of architectural specifications and industrial coatings for PPG; and “Steel and Skylines” by architect and author Stephan Al.

New this year is the Metalcon Training Zone, which provides a hands-on demonstration and training area for contractors, remodelers, and others who want to sharpen their skills and deliver their best work when installing various metal roof offerings and systems. Training will focus on proper detailing and utilization of the right tools.

Also new this year, women of metal construction are welcome to join their peers before the show kicks off on Wednesday for “Metal and Mimosas,” a morning filled with breakfast, networking, and discussion at the Envy at the Renaissance Hotel.