Sixth annual Great American Trucking Show builds momentum
DALLAS (Sept. 21, 2004) – The Dallas Convention Center hosted 42,739 attendees Sept. 10-12, 2004, for the 6th annual Great American Trucking Show, billed as America’s Convention of Trucking Professionals. The attendance grew 7 percent over 2003, primarily from an increase in owner-operators, company drivers and fleet management attendees.
“We are excited about the attendee growth in 2004, both from our pre-registration and onsite numbers,” says Randy Schwartzenburg, GATS general manager. “Attendance is growing in quality and quantity as a result of our new marketing efforts in 2004. Going to a Thursday-Saturday show on Aug. 25-27, 2005, and adding more programs and events will continue to build the fleet and owner-operator attendees we already have and make it more convenient for them to attend.” GATS has commitments from the Dallas Convention Center for availability during the last week in August through 2013.
Enhancements to this year’s show included expansion into Hall D, giving more space for exhibits and Pride & Polish show trucks, working in conjunction with the Commercial Telematics Vehicle seminars bringing in new attendees, and the Trucking Challenge of the Sexes, which benefited the Special Olympics. These, as well as being adjacent to 20-plus acres of free truck parking, two free concerts sponsored by Volvo and Mobil Delvac, many exhibitors’ new products, and the proximity of the Truckload Carriers Association Independent Contractors Meeting made the GATS 2004 show one of the best.
“This year’s show floor grew by more than 30% over last year’s event, with a total of 417 exhibitors,” says Alan Sims, director of events. One significant area of growth was trailer manufacturers. “We experienced a 330% growth in participation from trailer manufacturers, adding many of the industry leaders to our exhibitor list,” says Sims. GATS has posted significant gains for the past two years with respect to exhibitors, exhibit space and visitor registrations and is expected to continue growing.
For information on exhibiting at the 7th annual show in Dallas, Aug. 25-27, 2005, contact Alan K. Sims at (888) 349-4287.
