Category: MATS Opportunities

Are You Ready For This Year’s Mid-America Trucking Show 2023?

It’s that time of year again! Every year towards the end of March, the Mid-American Trucking Show (MATS) is held in Louisville, Kentucky. 

What is MATS? 

MATS is the largest heavy-duty trucking trade show in the world where members of the trucking industry gather to show off the latest technology, equipment, products, and services. The event will feature numerous informative panels from industry experts and market leaders as well as live performances from Elvie Shane and Tony Justice.

History of MATS

In 1972, the Mid-American Trucking Show was founded to make heavy-duty trucking shows accessible to the eastern half of the United States. The show was geared towards owner-operators and fleets and aimed to be more accessible than trucking shows previously held in California and Massachusetts. The first MATS in 1972 had around 4,000 attendees and 83 exhibitors. Since then the event has grown to be the largest heavy-duty trucking show in the world with over 58,000 attendees and over 850 exhibitors. 

When is the Mid-America Trucking Show 2023? 

This year MATS is being held from March 30th to April 1st at the following location:

Kentucky Expo Center 
937 Phillips Lane
Louisville, KY 40209

The show’s hours are as follows:

Thursday, March 30th (VIP): 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thursday, March 30th: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, March 31st: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 1st: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Know Before You Go

Registration

Before you head to MATS you should register in advance. There are three registration options available: attendee registration, exhibitor registration, and media registration. Attendee registration is geared toward trucking professionals looking to improve their business and see what’s new in the industry through interactive exhibits, educational panels, and networking. Exhibitor registration is geared toward company personnel looking to present their company’s products and services through interactive exhibits or booths. Media registration is designed for the media and influencers looking to partner with MATS.

Featured Events

MATS is loaded with all kinds of events for its attendees to experience while at the show. There will be many informative industry experts holding educational panels to help attendees stay up-to-date on industry topics. 

Attendees have the option to attend the VIP Executive Breakfast for an additional $100 on top of their registration fee. The event will feature networking opportunities and informative talks from executives from industry-leading companies.

The MATS Ride & Drive event allows attendees to test drive industry vehicles with the latest technology. Participation in this event is free but attendees must sign up at each truck’s respective booth for an opportunity to drive it. The drivable trucks featured in this event include a Kenworth W900 Limited Edition, a Western Star 57X, a Western Star 49X, and a Kenworth T680 Signature Edition.

MATS attendees also have the option to attend the PKY Truck Championship, showing off the industry’s best custom trucks, and the MAC Trailer Winter Nationals Championship Pulling Event on Saturday evening. 

For more information on the event visit https://truckingshow.com/.

Get The Most Out Of Your 2019 MATS Experience

It is that time of year again, when the largest annual heavy-duty trucking industry event makes its way to Louisville, Kentucky. This years MATS is taking place Thursday, March 28 – Saturday, March 30. With an event as large as MATS, you should always come prepared with your own tentative agenda to help your trip run smoothly. Here are a few tips to consider for your 2019 MATS experience.

ExpressAmber

If you’re familiar with ExpressAmber, you know that she tackles all truck industry news on her Youtube channel, and this year’s MATS event is no different. Since attending MATS for about 6 years she and her team have a pretty good handle on one of the truck industries largest events.

With a buzzing atmosphere and leading truck industry innovators all around, Amber and Bryan advise all attendees to take full advantage of the networking taking place all in one area. Amber and her team have learned to prepare months in advance to secure potential partnerships and make the voyage to Louisville, Kentucky well worth it. By networking throughout the year the team develops a strategy on spending their time wisely at trucking events.

Research Exhibitors

There are over 1,000 exhibitors from 47 states who have already registered for this years event. It is very easy to overlook a booth if you aren’t sure where to look. The MATS website has a great feature that allows for you to search for exhibitors in the 2019 exhibitor directory. Look for your favorite product and companies by name to see if they’ll be attending.

(ExpressAmber MATS Tip: Don’t avoid the FMCSA booth. Visiting the FMCSA booth at MATS is your chance to express your concerns about new rules and regulations, outside of blog and vlog rants. Who knows, they just might listen.)

Experience Louisville

Take time to get away from the convention center and tour the city. Some people may consider this a work trip, but all work doesn’t have to be anti fun. Louisville has a lot to offer from the Louisville Slugger Museum to the Muhammad Ali Center. There is rich history that awaits to be explored. If your schedule doesn’t allow for you to explore, consider coming a day earlier or staying a day late to enjoy the Louisville experience outside of MATS. Research unique and top rated restaurants that will make you feel like the tourist you truly are.

Show Your Badge

Louisville offers the Show Us Your Badge program, it offers discounts throughout the city to conference attendees. Discounts range from restaurants, attractions and retail shops, all designed to give visitors a special guest experience.

Participating locations

Food

Hard Rock Cafe
Patrick O’Shea’s
Tavern On Fourth
Buckhead Mountain Grill
Morton’s, The Steakhouse
Brasserie Provence
Pizza Bar

Attractions

Belle of Louisville Boat Tour
The Caravan Comedy Club
Bluegrass Karting & Events

Retail

Messie Shop
5-0-Lou
Peace Of The Earth

Network & Promote Yourself

When having fun, don’t lose sight of your goal. There are so many opportunities at MATS and all attendees have the right to explore them. Being on the road for majority of the year can damper human interaction leaving the forerunners of the industry to solely rely on social media to network.

For one weekend we encourage you to have face to face interactions with the representatives of companies you want to work with. Recruitment is a big piece of MATS, so don’t miss your opportunity to achieve a career goal.

The seminars each year feature standout industry names, who are known for success. On any other day a direct answer from them may not be realistic, but during a live seminar your chances become a bit greater.

6 Can’t Miss Opportunities

With an action packed weekend like MATS 2019 it’s hard to narrow down what events to attend and which ones can be replaced. We tried our best to pick our top 5, so we chose 6. This years MATS wouldn’t be one of the largest MATS to date without these amazing opportunities going on throughout the weekend.

  • PKY Truck Beauty Championship

Thursday, March 28 – Saturday, 30 10AM – 6PM | Location: Lot J

  • Roadworks 25th Anniversary Celebration

Thursday, March 28 3PM – 4PM | Booth # : 34105

  • Helping You Navigate The Biggest Obstacles to Success in Today’s Market 

Thursday, March 28 12:30PM – 1:30PM | Location: B-104

  • MATS Concert Sponsored by Mobil Delvac Featuring Michael Ray and Runaway June

Friday, March 29 7PM | Location: Freedom Hall – Kentucky Exposition Center

  • Red Eye Rendezvous

Thursday, March 28 – Saturday, 30 10AM – 6PM* | Booth # : 41064

  • Giveaway: My20 Trucker Pack 

Thursday, March 28 1PM-5:30PM | Booth # : 62140