The US forklift industry has shunned current poor business conditions with healthy attendances at the Material Handling Equipment Distributors' Association's (MHEDA) 48th annual convention and manufacturers' fair, held from May 3 to May 7 at the Marriott Riverwalk Hotel, San Antonio, Texas.

MHEDA executive vice-president Liz Richards said the convention, with the theme "Get ready to think big", attracted more than 450 industry participants and 100 exhibitors.

The manufacturers' fair was held in the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Centre, with exhibitors presenting a variety of materials handling products.

The show's educational program echoed the wider theme of the convention in its topics, which covered strategic planning, effective distributor marketing, profitable installations, the aftermarket, leadership, sales management and more.

Speakers included September 11 New York fire chief Richard Picciotto and economist Gene Stanaland, who provided a perspective on current world events.

During the convention, Ron Conrad, chief operating officer of Denver, Colorado-based Materials Handling Equipment Company, was presented with an award for the company's customer service excellence and innovative sales model.

"Even though business conditions may not be optimal right now, the high convention attendance shows that members realise the value gained by stepping outside their inner circle to learn from and network with their industry peers," Ms Richards said.

MHEDA's 2004 convention is scheduled for May 1 to May 5 at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Florida.

Convention attendees are invited to submit their reviews of the MHEDA annual convention on Forkliftaction.com's events page. Click here to post your review.