The Material Handling Equipment Distributors' Association (MHEDA) 2002 convention and manufacturers' fair saw lower attendance figures than last year, but participants enjoyed high-quality workshops and activities, says MHEDA vice-president Liz Richards.

Individuals from more than 200 member, supplier or associate MHEDA companies attended the annual event, which had the theme: "It's a jungle out there. Let MHEDA be your guide."

More than 500 delegates took part in the April 27-May 1 event in Marco Island, Florida, compared with 586 at the 2001 event in Washington, DC, Ms Richards said.

Informal discussions indicated business activity for MHEDA members had increased since March, but the economy was still hesitant to resume its earlier pace, she said. Some distributors reported being extremely busy and experiencing a positive upturn, while others had not seen a dramatic turnaround but were fulfilling more requests for quotations.

MHEDA will host two educational programs in Chicago this year. Success case studies in general lines and engineered systems will run from Sept 27-28 and parts and service management will run from Oct 18-19.

MHEDA, based in Vernon Hills, Illinois, was established in 1954 and aims to improve the proficiency of independent materials handling equipment distributors.