Electric Expo in Kansas City metro attracts 130 exhibitors

The Electric League of Missouri and Kansas’ 2014 Expo got some good reviews from the independent manufacturers’ reps working the vendor booths. Held Feb. 18-19 at the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kan., the show sold out 130 booths and attracted distributors and end users from as far away as Wichita, Kan., a three-hour drive from the KC metro.

Several reps said the Johnson County Contractor Licensing program’s Spring Education seminar held in the convention center at the same time as the Electric Expo was helping to draw contractors to the trade show. The Electric League and the Johnson County Licensing program worked together to hold their events at the same time to increase attendance for each other.

Several exhibitors said business was off to a slow start in 2014, mostly due to the unusually cold winter. However, they said as the weather warms up and more construction projects break ground, there should be plenty of pent-up demand for electrical products.

Some other big regional shows are also being held this year -- the Electrical Board of Missouri and Illinois are holding their show on Mar. 25-26, and the North Central Electrical League is holding its show on April 16-17 in Minneapolis. The Philadelphia Electric Association had its big show back in October.