Louisville, KY — The country’s largest truck show will return bigger and better for its 50th anniversary celebration in March, organizers have confirmed.

“It’s time to get back to business,” show organizers declared as registration officially opened for the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) 2022 this month.

The industry’s largest annual trade show dedicated to the heavy-duty trucking industry will return to the Kentucky Expo Center March 24-26, 2022.

MATS president Toby Young said the show’s 50th anniversary celebration will feature “new in-person experiences that will reconnect the entire trucking industry through face-to-face interactions that will educate and entertain.”

Some of the experiences will include an expanded education program (known as MATS Pro Talks Seminar Series), with “twice as many” seminars and product demonstrations.

Attendees for opening night of MATS 50th can also look forward to a ceremony that will include live music, drinks, and an interactive history display with the MATS Wall of Fame.

In addition, show organizers promised more outdoor events, including a “larger-than-ever” 30th anniversary PKY Truck Beauty championship.

Show-goers can also expect to experience the traditional MATS Friday night concert (line-up TBD), five exhibit halls inside the convention center, and more than one million square feet of exhibits.

“We intend to set a new standard for trucking industry events,” Young stated.

This will be the first MATS since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 12, 2020, Transportation Nation Network (TNN) reported MATS officials made the decision to cancel the 49th annual event, which was slated for March 26-28, 2020.

The decision to cancel MATS 2020 came just one day after show officials sent an email update to exhibitors informing that plans were still moving forward, and on-site set-up for the event had already begun.

In announcing the cancellation of the 2020 show, MATS officials said the event would return stronger than ever in 2021 for its 50th anniversary celebration.

However, in a statement on February 15, 2021, Young confirmed the 50th anniversary event would be pushed back to March 2022.

“In the end, March 2022 is the closest we can get to a guarantee that an event of our size could proceed without compromise,” Young stated. “Any sooner would sacrifice the integrity of the show and the value that MATS provides.”

For more information about how to register and book a hotel for MATS 50th, you can visit www.TruckingShow.com/registration and www.TruckingShow.com/where-to-stay.