Last October, the National Insulation Association (NIA) tested the idea of holding the first North American international trade show for the insulation industry in conjunction with the organization’s annual Fall Summit. Collaborating with with Reed Exhibitions, they sponsored Expo (IEX) USA October 27–28, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center near Chicago, to connect suppliers of insulation products, services, and technologies with buyers such as engineers, contractors, facility owners and managers, specifiers, architects, and other industry professionals.
The NIA has now officially declared IEX USA an unqualified success. There were 77 exhibitors overall at the trade show, 43 of which were NIA member companies. Two standout attractions: the Product Showcase where exhibitors could display their most popular products and the Learning Theatre where companies offered 20-minute hands-on product demos and installation instruction. The positive feedback has prompted IEX organizers to plan another USA show for 2017.