The Steel City will again be home to North America’s largest annual gathering of the global iron and steel industry, as the Association for Iron & Steel Technology’s (AIST) AISTech 2022 is set to take place May 16-18 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC).
Nearly 8,000 attendees are expected for the three-day conference and exposition, including more than 300 technical presentations and a sold-out floor show featuring 540 exhibitors. Included in the agenda is the 20th iteration of AISTech’s Town Hall Forum, where a first-of-its-kind panel will bring six of the world’s top iron and steel industry CEOs together to discuss the issues and opportunities that exist in the steel industry.
AISTech 2022 is expected to generate an estimated $7.6 million in direct visitor spend. Utilizing 14 downtown hotels, the conference is expected to generate an estimated $1.1 million in room revenue alone.
Headquartered in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, AIST is a true champion of the region, hosting the event and bringing thousands of attendees to Pittsburgh six times since 2008. Next week also marks the first time AISTech will return to the DLCC since 2019.
“The Association for Iron & Steel has been incredibly loyal to our region over the years, and we thank them for continuing to champion Pittsburgh and helping our team tell the Pittsburgh story,” VisitPITTSBURGH President & CEO Jerad Bachar says. “The entire Pittsburgh tourism community is ready to welcome AISTech to our region.”
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Mayor Ed Gainey proclaimed May 16-18 AISTech Days in Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh.
“AISTech 2022 is a fantastic example of the economic opportunities businesses and corporations can generate for the Pittsburgh community when they bring their events home,” Bachar continues. “Attendees will visit our attractions, dine at our restaurants, shop at our stores and more. We see the impact this makes right here in our community, and we’re very honored that AIST continues to bring such a large-scale event to Pittsburgh.”
“As a technology organization, Pittsburgh is the ideal home for AIST,” Ronald E. Ashburn, AIST Executive Director, says. “Pittsburgh is the home of the largest iron and steel technology cluster in the world. When you’re from Pittsburgh and you work in the steel industry, you garner instant clout around the world. We’re proud of that reputation, and we work hard every day to preserve and grow it. We’ve been meeting here for 115 years, and we keep coming back.”
The DLCC’s 1.5 million feet of meeting and exhibit space are vital to the success of AISTech 2022, as the event surpassed the AISTech record for the largest exposition by area. “We have a special affinity with the David L. Lawrence Convention Center because AIST was one of the catalysts behind its construction,” Ashburn adds. “We outgrew the old facility and had to leave the city for a few years. We’re happy to have a LEED-certified convention center, one that showcases the beauty of steel and recognizes the importance of finding harmony with nature because we have the very same objective in the steel industry.”
AIST is a non-profit organization with 15,500 members from more than 70 countries. With 30 Technology Committees and 22 Member Chapters, AIST represents an incomparable network of steel industry knowledge and expertise. AISTech provides a global perspective on today’s marketplace by featuring technologies from all over the world that help steelmakers to compete more effectively.
