The Power of Industry Partnerships: If You Want to Go Far, Go Together

By Nicole Halada, AEM Senior Vice President of Exhibitions and Marketing-

No one individual or organization achieves sustained success alone. It takes teamwork, collaboration and support to drive the kinds of outcomes capable of making a real, measurable difference over time.

It's a fact reflected in all AEM has accomplished in support of our members, our industry and our world over its 125-plus year history. Whether they've occurred through joining forces with our peers to advance growth in equipment manufacturing, or by establishing partnerships to take successful exhibitions and events to the next level, so many of AEM's greatest successes happened as a direct result of our leaders recognizing and leveraging the power of partnerships.

I can't help but think back to when the Construction Industry Manufacturers Association (CIMA) joined forces with Equipment Manufacturers Institute (EMI) to become AEM. Or when the ConExpo and Con/Agg shows came together to create the largest exposition ever held in the Western Hemisphere for the construction, aggregate and ready-mixed concrete industries. In achieving what they did, the leaders of these organizations recognized an important fact about the power of partnerships: If you want to go far, go together.

In making an intentional commitment to do so, the efforts of those leaders paved the way for much of what we do at AEM today. Consider the team behind AEM-owned exhibitions that works to support our members and our industry, as well as continually exceed goals, break records and provide a solid return on investment for exhibitors and attendees alike. Ultimately, one major reason AEM can deliver high-quality exhibitions and events is because our staff and leadership works so hard to foster collaboration and mutually beneficial partnerships with industry peers.

In total, AEM partners with more than 400 organizations from 34 countries across all the shows we own or produce. Some of these include:

• AEM working with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and American Soybean Association (ASA), along with the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and National Sorghum Producers (NSP), on Commodity Classic to create a world-class event each year for the global ag industry.
• AEM and The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) joining forces almost every year to bring together all stakeholders in the asphalt industry for World of Asphalt.
• World of Asphalt organizers NAPA and AEM coming together with the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) to bring the asphalt and aggregates industries together through their colocations of World of Asphalt and AGG1.
• CONEXPO-CON/AGG enlisting the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) to bring its certification exams and workshops to Las Vegas for North America's largest construction trade show.
• The Utility Expo joining forces with the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) to offer a wealth of safety-related educational workshops as part of the show's new Safety Symposium.
• CONEXPO-CON/AGG working with Associated General Contractors (AGC) to advance the newly launched Next Level Awards.

Engaging others - both within our industry and across many others - is not simply an organizational priority for us. It's embedded in everything we do. And because of AEM's lengthy track record of success partnering and collaborating with others, we're always looking to reimagine and optimize how we collaborate with existing partners, as well as foster new, mutually beneficial partnerships that drive impact far beyond what we're capable of accomplishing alone.

I like to think of it like what takes place on a trade show floor. The onsite conversations and initial connections occur over the course of a few hours or days, but their ultimate impact extends far beyond the time spent engaging others in and around the booth. It takes work to build upon the foundation initially established, but that collaboration can (and, more often than not, does) pay dividends over time.

So, even as we continue to evaluate and adjust how we approach our exhibitions-related partnerships at AEM, there's absolutely no doubting just how much they power our ability to advance our priorities and reach our goals. And while our path toward collaborative success may change with time, our commitment toward what we want to achieve together remains the same: Continue to leverage lasting and mutually beneficial relationships that help us build momentum for our 1,000-plus members and beyond.

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