Bringing Metalcon back to Las Vegas wasn’t a gamble for organizers as an estimated 5,000 came to the city for the 2017 sheet metal forming and fabricating event.

The Las Vegas Convention Center became a fabrication facility Oct. 18-20, 2017, as sheet metal contractors and metal roofing contractors and builders turned out for the show and its educational programs.

The crowds did not disappoint exhibitors.

“This is one of the unique venues in the world where we have access to our entire value chain,” said Mark MacDonald of metal coatings maker Valspar. “We see everyone from coil coaters all the way down to building product suppliers, regional roll formers and even roofing contractors. It gives us an opportunity to network with our current customers, talk about new business opportunities, as well as meet our future customers. There really isn’t another venue quite like this.”

Officials with roll forming equipment company Samco Machinery, a longtime attendee, said the crowds surprised them.

“It’s been an incredible attendee show,” said Scott Cosens of Samco. “We have never seen this type of volume of people. We were running out of paper on our leads. All I can tell you is, if you are not coming to Metalcon, you are missing out, and what’s even more amazing, I am finding that still again, all of these suppliers and providers are coming from all over the world, not just the U.S. and Canada. We are never not going to be here. We have been here for well over two decades, and we are already back for next year.”

Next year’s Metalcon is scheduled for Oct. 10-12 in Charlotte, North Carolina.