Propane Expo attendance dips for third straight year

The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reported 3,100 total attendees and 240 exhibiting companies for April’s Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo in Atlanta.

The attendee total marks the third straight year that attendance declined since a record 4,126 total attendees gathered in Nashville, Tennessee – the show’s first stop in the Music City – in 2016. More than 4,000 attended the next year in Nashville before about 3,300 attended last year, when the show returned to Atlanta. The number of exhibitors set up on the Georgia World Congress Center floor this year was consistent compared to recent years.

The NPGA’s 2019 Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo drew 3,100 total attendees to Atlanta. Photo: iStock.com/sean pavone

A military veteran presence characterized this year’s show, as the industry has focused more in recent years on the role that veterans can play in filling open positions. Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Carden Jr. was part of the opening ceremonies and J.R. Martinez, a retired U.S. Army soldier who has become an actor, author and motivational speaker, delivered the keynote address.

Attendees gained access on the show floor to a New Product Showcase and an Autogas Pavilion. They also had the opportunity to attend classroom-style educational sessions and Fast Track sessions on the show floor. A preconference propane cargo tank and inspection workshop was offered in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Other notable events in Atlanta included the NPGA Women in Propane Council’s annual Leadership Forum and roundtable, the Propane Education & Research Council Update and the Prayer Breakfast with the Rev. William Fullilove.

The LP Gas Hall of Fame also inducted its eighth class prior to the Propane Expo.

Nashville will host the next Propane Expo, April 6-8, 2020. The show will run Monday through Wednesday and not over a weekend.