An elephant visitor and trade show alternatives
Just when you think things couldn’t get any weirder and we are surely destined for some form of “normalcy” by now, someone pulls up to your office with an 11′ tall elephant—and I’m not exaggerating. Our entire staff was quietly working on upcoming magazine deadlines when we heard a knock at the front office door. A gentleman asked if we’d seen his “elephant in the parking lot,” causing one collective exclamation of, “What did he just say?!”
We filed outside and, sure enough, a life-size elephant came into view, constructed entirely of salvaged metal. Upon closer examination, we spotted flatware, pipe, oil drums, hand tools, automotive parts, and much, much more. Its owner and creator, write-in presidential candidate Kasey Wells, explained that he designed the massive metal project as a low-cost conversation starter for his campaign trail, while also representing the “elephant in the room.”
By the time you have this issue in-hand, the winner of the 2020 presidential campaign will have likely been announced. While I’m not going to speculate on Mr. Wells’ chances for presidency, one thing I will predict is that, given my findings while researching for this issue, things are sure to turn around at some point, hopefully soon.
With COVID-19 and social distancing added into our common household vocabulary, it’s no surprise that many of this year’s trade shows were cancelled or transitioned to virtual events. We’re still moving forward on our December Construction Rollforming Show while working with the convention center and hotel to implement all necessary safety precautions. See the Publisher’s Note on page 3 for additional information.
We’ve heard from several readers that you miss attending shows and learning about the newest products in the industry, so we created our own Virtual Trade Show! Flip to page 13 to see a portion of the exhibitors in print, then head to our extensive online site at www.construction magnet.com/2020-virtual_ts-home-page to see all of the sponsors, complete with their own videos. You might not be able to visit their real, live booth this year, but this is the next best thing!
Jessica Franchuk, Managing Editor
