1.14.10 | Trade Show Attendance Tops 2009 Totals

The 2010 ATA Trade Show welcomed 5,760 people Wednesday, eclipsing by 775 the first-day total of 4,985 at the 2009 Show in Indianapolis.

The ATA anticipates even higher attendance today because pre-show registrations and onsite registrations reached 7,907 by 4:30 p.m. yesterday, far outranking last year's three-day attendance total of 7,331.

"This makes for a solid, memorable return to Columbus," said Jay McAninch, ATA CEO/president. "The mood on the floor was the most upbeat I recall in the 10 years I've been with the ATA. The attendance figures help validate the optimism I heard wherever I went yesterday."

Those totals include 2,882 total registrations so far in the all-important dealer, buyer and distributor category, nearly matching the group's 2,895 three-day totals in 2009.
The big numbers mirrored an equally impressive commitment on the Trade Show floor, where 478 exhibitors - including 90 first-time exhibitors and 24 companies in the Innovation Zone - rented 154,320 square feet of booth space. That's 25 more exhibitors and nearly 1,400 more square feet of booth space than 2009.

Exhibitors also brought more staff members to this year's Show, a reversal from 2009 when many cut back on staffing to save travel expenses. As of Wednesday, 3,876 exhibitor staff were registered for the Show, 700 more than attended in 2009. Exhibitors also rented a record 40 shooting lanes for the Show.

"All these results demonstrate the Show's strength and exhibitors' commitment," said Cindy Brophy, ATA Trade Show manager. "This is the industry's largest, most inclusive Trade Show. No matter what retailers need for inventory or equipment, they'll find a manufacturer here to help."

-- In other news from Wednesday, attendance at the 10 morning seminars hit 362, a record for Day 1 attendance at the ATA Academy. That's nearly a 10 percent increase from Day 1 in 2009 and 2007, which shared the previous first-day attendance records.

-- A total of 334 people from 37 international countries are registered for the show.

-- Industry professionals are here from every state except Hawaii. Ohio tops the list with 792 attendees, and then it's Michigan, 605; Indiana, 387; Wisconsin, 385; and Illinois, 329.