Atlanta was a resounding success for METALCON attendees. With dynamic exhibits, inspiring keynotes, hands-on workshops, expanded networking and free educational sessions, the event brought together attendees from 50 countries to connect with leading industry experts at the only event dedicated exclusively to the application of metal in design and construction. 

“I came to learn about the metal building industry, and boy did I ever,” said attendee James Conway of Davie, Florida. “I attended educational sessions, did a lot of networking and received a lot of on-the-spot education directly from the exhibitors—And the opening keynote was very inspiring.”

Conway was referring to former National Football League Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl Champion quarterback, Joe Theismann, who opened the show with his keynote, Game Plan for Success. Theismann discussed the injury that abruptly ended his career and how he quickly realized the importance of team and leadership.

“You can’t do it yourself,” he said. “You need competition. It’s what drives us. It’s not about you: it’s about the people you lead, and you can’t forget that. Write down what your team wants to accomplish and your goals—personally, professionally, spiritually and financially. We have to provide the people we lead with the tools to be successful. As you lead people, think of them as your crew. Every member of the team has contributed to you being there.”

He continued, “Take time to congratulate yourself; be happy with you; like who you are. Enthusiasm carries us. You get excited and people around you get excited. If you don’t believe in who you are, who is going to believe in you?”

Theismann talked about customer service. “Customer service is all about relationships. People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”

On day two, keynote speaker, Dr. Anirban Basu, Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., a Baltimore-based economic and policy consulting firm, presented The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: Financial Outlook and Trends for Metal Construction.

“Coming into 2023, we thought a recession was inevitable,” said Basu. “2022 was a terrible year. It simply has not transpired. Consumers have gone on a spending tear and retail sales are up, but on services such as travel and concert tickets.”

“As of September 2024, there were 7.4 million job openings (288,000 available in construction) with job growth every month since December of 2020,” he said. “Certain areas of the labor market have weakened, and construction wage premiums are down compared to other jobs. Personal savings were up during the pandemic, and all those saving have now been spent. Prices are still rising.”

He cited a 23% overall inflation rate with the top three categories including energy, transportation services and tobacco and smoking products—not groceries. And credit card debt is the highest it has been since 2004 at $1.14 trillion. “Consumers cannot keep spending as they have been,” said Basu. “Further economic slowing is in front of us.”

Basu’s main takeaways were:

• “We are a deeply indebted society currently facing high borrowing costs.
• That makes me pessimistic regarding the near-term outlook.
• Geopolitical and federal elections don’t help–source of additional concern distraction and risk.
• Expect a slowdown next year, but baseline case no longer calls for recession.”

On the closing day of the show Dr. Melissa Furman of Career Potential, a consulting, training and coaching organization presented Relevant Leadership: Navigate, Empower, Transform.

“The business landscape moving forward is going to be different,” said Furman. “The workforce is aging so brace for the shift. Baby boomers currently make up 33% of the workforce so organizations are soon going to feel a leadership gap.”

She offered top 10 recommendations to stay relevant (with the top three being the most important):

1) Mindset is everything - Growth vs. fixed. “Train your brain that when you say something negative ‘flip it’ and say the same comment in a positive way.” 

2) Self-awareness – Know who you are! Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify emotional information in oneself and in others, and the ability to manage emotions and focus. 

3) Learn about others –  Workers want to be respected: paid well; mentored; challenged; promoted; involved in decisions/provide input; appreciated; trusted; empowered; and valued…“No one cares about the pizza!”

4) Communication – “Figure out your preferred mode of communication and make sure if you are managing a team, they know how you want to be communicated with.”

5) Manage burnout

6) Be tech savvy

7) Be socially responsible & trusted

8) Be innovative & adaptable

9) Develop advanced problem skills

10) Be data savvy – “Educate yourself on what to do with the data— ‘data will tell you any story’.” 

Show attendees had the unique opportunity to network with peers and explore the latest innovations across more than 260 exhibits. The highly anticipated and extremely popular, “Metal and Mimosas” women’s event reached full capacity, uniting women in the metal construction industry, with an inspiring keynote to kick off the gathering. Speed networking provided attendees with the chance to make more connections in one hour than at any other event, while the METALCON welcome party and The Backyard networking area proved to be major highlights, offering relaxed yet productive spaces for building relationships and sharing insights.

“We’re excited to bring even more networking events to Las Vegas next year,” said Judy Geller, METALCON Vice President of Tradeshows. “The strong attendance at these events clearly shows the growing demand for more opportunities to connect and collaborate within the industry.”

The Design District made its debut this year, offering exclusive programming and unmatched opportunities for design professionals and engineers to immerse themselves in the world of metal design and construction. Attendees participated in on-site education and explored scenic downtown Atlanta in A Walking Tour of Metal Cladding and Panels led by Zeke Miller, president of MillerClapperton, a national fabricator and regional installer of architectural cladding systems.

“We spoke at The Design District about barndominiums, barndo trends and about the outreach we are looking to do with consumers,” said Oliver Bell, COO of the Barndominum Company. “It was very well attended. We had architects, designers, and engineers. There is a lot of excitement in the metal world over what is going on and the potential in the residential space. We met a lot of great people, saw a lot of new products, and got a lot of great ideas. We’re so excited; we’re going to METALCON 2025 in Las Vegas.”

Next year, METALCON will take place from Oct. 21-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information, visit www.metalcon.com.