Leaving on a jet plane: the recycling industry celebrates spring with trade shows in Las Vegas and Barcelona.

Spring is in the air, and so are recyclers--hopping planes to various locales to hit some of the industry's biggest late spring trade shows. Waste industry professionals will try their luck in Las Vegas May 2-5 at WasteExpo, while the international recycling community will gather in Barcelona, Spain, later in the month for the Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling's (BIR) Spring Convention.

WasteExpo 2005 will land in Las Vegas May 2-5, making it one of the first stops on the May trade show circuit.

The Las Vegas Convention Center will play host to the annual convention, which brings together industry professionals from companies in the public and private sectors of the waste management industry.

"WasteExpo is unique in that it attracts companies from the private and public sectors," says Rita Ugianskis, group show director. The show provides a unique environment for professionals, from company CEOs to municipal landfill operators, to mix and mingle.

The event's organizers expect more than 11,000 people to be in attendance. WasteExpo 2004 turned out a 4 percent increase in attendance from 2003, and already, the 2005 show is tracking ahead of last year's numbers, Ugianskis says.

The show's location rotates around the country, and Las Vegas tends to be a big draw for attendees and for exhibitors, Ugianskis says. Between 420 and 430 exhibitors are expected this year.

And like many shows on the circuit, WasteExpo's exhibit floor is considered by many to be the convention's main event.

"By far, WasteExpo is an exhibit-driven event," Ugianskis says.

This year, the show floor has expanded to two levels. The floor will be organized into three product concentrations areas--collection and transfer, landfill management and recycling, composting and processing.

In addition to the product concentration areas, three product pavilions will feature technology, truck components and supplies and electronic scrap.

The focus on the waste management industry and the unique blend of public and private sectors makes WasteExpo an important stop for many equipment manufacturers.

"The market it serves stands out," says Dan Brandon, marketing manager for exhibitor Morbark, Winn, Mich. Brandon says WasteExpo has always been a priority stop for his company. "We've done the show for as long as I can remember," he says. "It reaches a segment of our market that's very important to us--recycling, landfills and municipal solid waste."

Mark Lyman, president of West Salem Machinery Co., Salem, Ore., says WasteExpo provides a perfect opportunity to introduce products to niche markets within the waste management industry.

"With all the different types of recycling that can be part of waste management, like composting and C&D, there's a lot of customers trying to understand how these processes fit into the waste industry," he says.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a number of educational sessions. Educational programming is divided into four topics--business operations, technical information, safety and WasteTech landfill technology. Sessions address issues like single-stream recycling, e-scrap, natural disaster management, landfill design and odor control.

In addition, a number of special events are scheduled to take place throughout the week, starting with the Environmental Industry Association's (EL&) Invitational Gold Tournement, which tees off Monday, May 2, at 8 a.m. at the Siena Golf Club.

The show's organizers expect attendees to represent more than 50 different countries, and all non-U.S. attendees are invited to a special international cocktail reception May 3 from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

AROUND THE WORLD. A hemisphere away, the international recycling community will gather in Barcelona, Spain, where the Hotel Princesa Sofia will host the BIR Spring Conference May 23-25. Representatives from 40 of the 55 member countries of the international trade association are expected to attend, Elisabeth Christ, communications director for BIR, says.

Unlike BIR's other annual convention, held in the fall, the spring convention features equipment exhibits.

Christ says 30 companies are expected to exhibit this year, and more than 500 international delegates are expected.

In addition to the equipment exhibitions, the spring conference always features a number of guest speakers, sessions and workshops on commodities and other market issues. This year, many of the sessions will concentrate on the markets in China and India, Christ says.

Sessions, committee meetings and luncheons are held constantly throughout the three-day event. All plenary sessions--those that are not labeled as "invitation only"--are open to all registered delegates. At these sessions, simultaneous interpretation in English, French, German and Spanish will be provided.

For first-timers, meeting with 500 delegates from 40 countries could seem a little daunting, but "it becomes very natural after awhile," Christ says. More exposure to the international community takes away that intimidating component, she says. "Then it's just people wanting to do business, like you."

More information on registering for the BIR Spring Conference is available by visiting BIR online at www.bir.org, while additional information on attending WasteExpo is available at www.waste expo.com.

WASTEEXPO EXHIBIT

HALL HOURS

Tuesday, May 3

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, May 4

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thursday, May 5

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

ABBREVIATED LIST OF BIR SPRING CONFERENCE MEETINGS

Monday, May 23

* Ferrous Division

* Shredder Committee

* Plastics Committee

* Welcome Reception

Tuesday, May 24

* Nonnferrous Metals Division

* Stainless Steel and Special Alloys Committee

* International Environmental Council

Wednesday, May 25

* Paper Division

* Textile Division

The author is assistant editor of Recycling Today and can be reached at [e-mail].