Attendance at ConExpo-ConAgg in Las Vegas last week was just short of 140,000 through Wednesday, show officials said, marking at least a 12-percent increase compared with total ConExpo attendance of about 124,000 in 2005.

Attendance totaled 138,997 as of the end of the second day. Show officials said onsite registration was running steady on Thursday, the show’s third day. Since onsite attendance would remain open through Saturday, the show’s last day, expectations were total attendance would likely be at least 145,000 by show’s end.

Exhibitors interviewed by RER throughout the 2.2 million-acre tradeshow were almost unanimously positive about total numbers attending the show as well as the level of interest and upbeat attitude expressed by contractors attending the show.

“Our booth has been constantly full and the outlook for business expressed by our customers has been excellent,” said Jim McCullough, president and CEO of Case Construction Equipment.

“This response from our visitors has been outstanding, far beyond our expectations,” added Chris Barnard, CEO of Wacker Corp. The remarks of McCullough and Barnard were typical of those expressed by a range of manufacturers interviewed by RER.

The strong attendance and response was particularly well-received by exhibitors because their expectations were generally lower because of the slowdown in the residential construction market and softness — relative to the past few years — in non-residential construction as well.

Although the number of international delegates and the number of countries represented were not yet available at press time, RER sensed the international participation in the five-day trade show had increased. Show organizers estimated more than 26,000 delegates were in attendance from more than 130 countries.

The next ConExpo-ConAgg trade show will be March 22-26, 2011, in Las Vegas.