Finishing the trifecta of major industry events this season, we headed to Las Vegas for CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026.
If PDAC is the “northern version of Australia” in Toronto, then CONEXPO is the high-octane (pun intended), desert-bound engine room of the global construction and infrastructure sector.
It’s impossible not to draw parallels with what we saw at evokeAg and PDAC. While the scale here is arguably on a different level, the core themes remain remarkably consistent: the push for digital maturity and the path of adaptation that keeps evolving, fast in some areas and surprisingly slow in others.
Much like the Core Shack at PDAC provides a hands-on look at new discoveries, the lot at CONEXPO allowed for side-by-side comparisons. We are seeing a move away from ‘tech for tech’s sake’ and towards relevant applications. The sentiment in the air, and has to be added, despite global Middle Eastern tensions and economic short-term caution, mirrors the optimism seen at PDAC. High demand for infrastructure, much like high commodity prices, is fuelling a sense that the industry is entering a ‘second phase’ of the digital wave, in our view, the first genuine step where we will see direct impacts on productivity across construction (mining, agri and logistics too).
As called out post evokeAg and PDAC, AI and LLMs are no longer side shows here either. They are being integrated directly into the ‘trucking, hauling and lifting’ chain to ensure project delivery meets the promised commercial outcomes. It was interesting to see how many of the machines on display are specifically designed to handle the lithium, copper, and cobalt we discussed during the exploration shows. The circularity between the explorer and the constructor has never been more apparent.
As we look forward to GRX 2026 (home-town advantage for A.I. LAMB), IMARC and other upcoming shows, the takeaway from Las Vegas is clear. Whether it’s a drill core in Canada, a paddock in Australia, or a job site in Nevada, the transition to a digital, clean-energy future is being driven by those who can marry tech implementation with real-world commercial grit.
