An up-close view of the latest in metal

By Anna Lockhart.   

METALCON 2025 offered attendees a front row view of the latest design trends and innovations hitting the market.  

Live from the trade show floor at the 2025 METALCON expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, host Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with a panel of metal professionals to discuss the state of the industry and the latest trends entering the market. This special episode of Coffee Conversations®, sponsored by MetalVue by Sherwin-Willams, featured notable panelists Luiz Sánchez of Sherwin-Williams, Chandler Barden of CIDAN Machinery, Nigel Kreft of Elevate Structures and Anthony Ortega of Viotell Metal Concepts. 

As the largest and only specialized trade show dedicated to the metal construction industry, METALCON was buzzing with exciting new product launches and demonstrations of the latest technologies. The energy was impressive, and the ability to see these up-and-coming innovations firsthand gave attendees a look at the ways they can elevate their business. Nigel shared, “What really struck me, being on the construction side of it, is the diverse product offerings. Roofing types, sheet metal types, colors, finishes, etcetera. The industry has really evolved into a more mature palette with colors and stuff like that, and I think some of the stuff that is out there is really cool.” 

Whether contractor, builder or a professional working in another side of the trade, the trade show floor offered a wonderful opportunity for all metal professionals to network and experience the aspect of community. Chandler shared, “I’ve been coming to the show for the last 14 years. The industry is growing, and it’s great getting to see familiar faces and your friends, getting to catch up and meet new people.”  

The show has also provided exhibitors with the opportunity to showcase their products and services firsthand with eager, new customers who might not have seen their offerings before METALCON. Luis explained, “There's a lot of questions that a lot of customers coming by have. They might not know all the things we have to offer and we get to explain to a lot of people all of the options that we offer in every business. It's been very good.” 

Even for installers, the trade show has been a great success. Anthony shared, “It's a little unique for us, because we're coming in as the installers, as the one providing the end product. We always love coming to METALCON because we get to see all the fun toys. It’s really exciting for us to come down here and see what we are seeing in the field and then connect it with great suppliers to figure out if there's a solution out there for our clients or a better way to do it, a way to optimize.” 

Watch the full conversation to get the highlights from the show and the panelists’ big takeaways from their time on the trade show floor.