ProMat 2005 is not quite finished, but already has been a huge success.

It is the showcase event for the US materials handling industry, and the market has responded enthusiastically, with record crowds and all the glitz and glamour of an event of this significance.

All major US forklift manufacturers were present, with Nacco the standout. Few manufacturers from across the Atlantic turned out, but TVH and Combilift were well represented.

The number of people who knew the Forkliftaction.com name was astounding. Many fans stopped me in the aisles and greeted me at their stands like an old friend, and everyone was very hospitable.

None more so than our friends at CeMAT, who allowed me to base myself at their excellent stand. Representatives have good presentations for the upcoming CeMAT 2005, in Hannover, in October and CeMAT Asia 2005, in Shanghai, in November.

McCormack Place South was an excellent venue for this type of exhibition, and I was lucky enough to be housed at the McCormack Hyatt on-site. While there was little sunshine, Chicago shook off its "windy city" tag and kept the sleet at bay.

I am thankful for the invitations to post-exhibition soirees, and met some truly fascinating people during my visit, with whom I will surely keep in touch. Everybody was very supportive of the Forkliftaction.com portal, and keen to learn more about the workings of our business.

Probably the most significant forklift-related event at the show was Nacco's Yale and Hyster launches of their Veracitor and Fortis ranges, cutting-edge forklift models and the first truly international models for these two big US manufacturers.

I hope everybody who attended the show had as good a time as I did. Thanks to everyone for greeting me so warmly, and to the Material Handling Industry of America for staging such an excellent event.

Rodger Lamb is Forkliftaction.com's research manager and a member of our sales staff. Email Rodger on www.forkliftaction.com