SHOW NEWS: NIFS / West Distributor Registration Jumps 32%

John Wolz

Nearly a third more distributors registered for the 2004 National Industrial Fastener Show / West in Las Vegas.
Distributor registration surged 31.8% to 1,286, according to show management numbers. It was a turnaround from 2003 when distributor registration fell 11.3% to 976 at the distribution-oriented show.
The record NIFS / West distributor registration was 1,386 in 2000.
Overall registration was up 16%. “We are delighted to report that 4,713 persons registered,” general manager Gloria Crase announced. Total registration was 4,055 last year.
Show management reported a total of 2,269 people registered to attend including distributors, manufacturers, reps, forming/cold header people and others and 427 spouses/guests, plus 2,011 registered exhibitor personnel for a total registration of 4,713.
Attendee registration was up 22%.
The record NIFS distributor registration was 1,753 in Columbus in 1995 and the highest total registration was 5,326 at Columbus in 1998.
The numbers include advance and onsite registration. Badges are not scanned at the entrance so actual attendance is not known. Show management does not use a verified attendance system, and the show is not audited by an independent trade show quality assurance system. Trade show experts have estimated that frequently 50% of advance registrants do not actually attend the event. Show management does provide a list of registrants to exhibitors.
There were 501 exhibiting companies taking 578 booths for the 2004 West show. The record NIFS booth count was 653 in 1996 in Columbus.
At 242 neighboring California had the most distributor registrations this year; Illinois 112; Ohio and Texas, 78 each; Michigan 53; Minnesota 47; New York 45; Florida 41; Arizona 38; Wisconsin 37; and Pennsylvania 34. The host state of Nevada had 19.
There were 67 Canadian distributors registered; 16 from Mexico; Japan, 8; Australia 4; and three each from England, Germany and the Netherlands.
The next NIFS/West will be November 17-18, 2005, at the Paris and Ballys hotels in Las Vegas. NIFS/East is slated for May 6, 2005, at the Baltimore Convention Center. For information contact show manager Gloria Crase. Tel: 614 895-8348. Fax 614 895-3466 E-mail: nifsco@fastenershows.com Web: fastenershows.com \ �2004 FastenerNews.com