{"id":3387,"date":"2026-02-18T14:47:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T14:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smileymonroe.com\/?p=2904"},"modified":"2026-09-16T23:37:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T22:37:09","slug":"interview-ryan-wright-conexpo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smileymonroe.com\/de\/news\/2026\/02\/interview-ryan-wright-conexpo\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Ryan: CONEXPO CON\/AGG, ZIP CLIP\u00ae and the US Market"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With over a decade of experience in the industry and numerous <a href=\"https:\/\/smiley-new.on-forge.com\/event\/conexpo-2026-las-vegas\/\">CONEXPO CON\/AGG<\/a> shows under his belt,\u00a0our Sales Director, Ryan Wright,\u00a0brings a seasoned perspective to one of the sector\u2019s biggest events. We caught up with\u00a0Ryan ahead of\u00a0the show to talk about how CONEXPO CON\/AGG has evolved, what they\u2019re seeing in the US market, and why events like this remain so important for Smiley Monroe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Thinking back to your first CONEXPO CON\/AGG,\u00a0what\u00a0stood out to you then?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>I first attended CONEXPO CON\/AGG back in 2017. What stood out to me back then&nbsp;walking the halls&nbsp;was of course the sheer size and scale of the show.&nbsp;Despite this&nbsp;year being&nbsp;my&nbsp;4th&nbsp;time attending&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;fairly certain&nbsp;there\u2019s parts of the&nbsp;Convention&nbsp;Center&nbsp;I still haven\u2019t explored!&nbsp;What I love about being&nbsp;at CONEXPO&nbsp;is seeing&nbsp;familiar&nbsp;faces&nbsp;&#8211; you return year after year to catch up with those connections you\u2019ve made. A&nbsp;lot can happen in three years&nbsp;so&nbsp;it\u2019s invaluable&nbsp;to meet&nbsp;face to face with our customers and industry partners&nbsp;to see what\u2019s new.&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How has the show changed over the years, from your perspective?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Covid and lockdowns had a huge impact on trade&nbsp;shows,&nbsp;but&nbsp;I think&nbsp;since 2022 really&nbsp;there\u2019s been an energized&nbsp;bounce-back&nbsp;and&nbsp;renewed appreciation&nbsp;for in-person&nbsp;networking. Businesses see the value of face-to-face meetings even more now after not being able to get together properly&nbsp;for such an extended period.&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You have extensive experience in the US market\u2014how does it differ from other markets you\u2019ve worked in, particularly when it comes to job site needs and expectations?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The US market is fast-moving and&nbsp;scale-driven. Jobsites are often larger, timelines are tighter, and there\u2019s a strong focus on productivity and durability.&nbsp;Equipment dealers and end-users&nbsp;are very practical\u2014if a product doesn\u2019t clearly save time, reduce effort, or hold up in real conditions, they move on. That mindset really shapes the conversations we have at CONEXPO.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smiley-new.on-forge.com\/products\/zip-clip-belt\/\">ZIP CLIP\u00ae<\/a> will be a\u00a0focal point on the Smiley Monroe booth.\u00a0When you\u2019re talking with attendees about ZIP CLIP\u00ae, what\u00a0resonates?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>It usually clicks right away as a time-saver. People immediately see how ZIP CLIP\u00ae simplifies\u00a0refitting belts\u00a0and reducing\u00a0the number of steps needed on the jobsite\u00a0\u2013 such as\u00a0planning for vulcanizing crews to call in &#8211;\u00a0which matters when\u00a0teams\u00a0are working under tight schedules.\u00a0It particularly\u00a0resonates with equipment dealers as they\u00a0are able to\u00a0rapidly respond when they have a ZIP CLIP\u00ae sitting ready for their customers if they\u2019re facing a breakdown.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why is CONEXPO CON\/AGG\u00a0such an important event for Smiley Monroe?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>CONEXPO CON\/AGG brings the industry together, and for us, that makes it an essential opportunity to listen, learn, and connect.\u00a0The show plays a key role in strengthening relationships in the US market. It\u00a0enables\u00a0us to connect with existing customers, meet new partners, and reinforce Smiley Monroe\u2019s long-term commitment to the industry.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>It\u2019s also an opportunity for us to showcase our new products to the market and this year we\u2019re excited to be&nbsp;expanding our US product&nbsp;catalog&nbsp;to include cut rubber and plastic parts \u2013 CNC precision cut&nbsp;at our&nbsp;Kentucky&nbsp;facility.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What to expect at the show?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Expect to be craning your neck a lot looking up at some of the&nbsp;biggest machinery the industry has to offer!&nbsp;The demo area is also an absolute must&nbsp;to check out&nbsp;some of the&nbsp;machines in action.&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Any advice for a first-time attendee?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Pack comfortable footwear because you\u2019ll be walking A LOT!\u00a0And\u00a0of course\u00a0be sure to call by the Smiley Monroe booth C32562 for a warm welcome and\u00a0to learn more about our flagship hero products ZIP CLIP\u00ae,\u00a0ToughFlex\u00ae\u00a0and\u00a0INTEGRACLEAT\u2122.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With over a decade of experience in the industry and numerous CONEXPO CON\/AGG shows under his belt,\u00a0our Sales Director, Ryan Wright,\u00a0brings a seasoned perspective to one of the sector\u2019s biggest events. We caught up with\u00a0Ryan ahead of\u00a0the show to talk [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ryan Wright Interview: CONEXPO CON\/AGG and the US Market - Smiley Monroe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sales Director Ryan Wright discusses CONEXPO CON\/AGG, the US market, and how ZIP CLIP\u00ae supports conveyor maintenance on site.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smiley-new.on-forge.com\/news\/2026\/02\/interview-ryan-wright-conexpo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ryan Wright Interview: CONEXPO CON\/AGG and the US Market - 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