The big conclusion from the Associated Equipment Distributors' (AED) 85th annual meeting & CONDEX show was that 2004 would be a year of growth.

Registrations for the event, in Orlando, Florida, from January 8 to January 10, climbed 20% and exhibitors increased 10% from last year's convention. Equipment distributors and manufacturers from the USA, Canada and abroad met to discuss issues and opportunities facing the industry.

"The 2004 annual meeting surpassed last year in every category we measure," said Toby Mack, AED executive vice-president. "As happy as we were about the excellent participation at the show, we were most gratified by the very positive outlook for 2004 expressed by everyone who attended."

Plans are already in progress for the 2005 AED annual meeting & CONDEX in San Antonio from January 27 to January 29.