World of Asphalt: Innovation in New Location
This content appears in the Summer 2025 print edition of NAPA Quarterly. Subscribe here.
Latest trade show in St. Louis featured a record amount of square footage.
Nearly 12,000 industry professionals explored an exhibit floor that spanned more than 230,000 square feet of the America’s Center Convention Complex during the 2025 World of Asphalt Show & Conference, just blocks from the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, and the Enterprise Center.
One of the highlights of the show was the new Community Zone, which provided a dedicated space for attendees to relax, work, and network. The Community Zone quickly became a favorite spot, fostering connections and creating a sense of camaraderie among participants.
“Boosted by a significant expansion in exhibit space, we’re proud to have executed another tremendous World of Asphalt with our partner, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), as well as the highly valued and well attended People, Plants, and Paving Conference that drives industry innovation and crew expertise,” said NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland.
Attendees engaged in 120 combined educational sessions between the People, Plants, and Paving Conference & AGG1 Academy, which covered a wide range of topics essential to the asphalt and aggregates industries. A few of the most popular sessions included Lean Principles: It’s About People, Process & Change; Unleashing the Power of Intentional Leadership: Leading Yourself to Lead Others; Extreme Ownership for Business and Life; Laydown Best Practices; and Compaction 101: Doing the Right Things, the Right Way.
“This success is a direct result of the collaboration and hard work of all our partners, exhibitors, and staff,” said World of Asphalt Show Director Brittany Schmidtke. “The momentum and growth in the asphalt and aggregates industry is evident by what we saw exhibited on the show floor and ultimately provided a richer experience for our attendees.”
“It does seem like this industry innovates a lot,” said Andy O’Brien with the Santa Barbara Public Works Department. “They’re always pushing for something better, how to do it more efficiently and faster. It’s all about fuel and raw materials. The more you can save doing that, especially as a government agency, we have to look at that. I think it’s great.”
On the final day of the show, Women of Asphalt celebrated the second annual Women of Asphalt Day. Women and allies from across the country participated in special programming and networking activities.
“We’ve talked to a lot of women,” said NAPA member Silver Star Construction’s Trish Morris, who’s opening an Oklahoma branch of Women of Asphalt. “A lot of men have come by and grabbed our cards so they can get their team members signed up. I think it’s great they’re willing to take that step and get their ladies involved as well, even if they’re not here.”
Organizers are already aiming to carry momentum from St. Louis into 2027, when World of Asphalt travels to the Big Easy.
“After a year off for CONEXPO/CON-AGG in 2026, we’re excited to bring World of Asphalt to New Orleans in 2027,” said Copeland.
