The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers 2024 Convention & Trade Show celebrated enormous success in its return to Las Vegas in February. The event posted great attendance and exhibitor totals as once again trailer manufacturers came in search of new supplier solutions after years of supply chain disruptions and shortages. (The event was held at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, the same venue for the 2020 show—which was among the last major gatherings before the COVID-19 travel restrictions took effect that spring.)
“Together NATM, its members, and the entire light- and medium-duty trailer industry are proud of the work we do to improve the safety of the U.S. roadways through our Compliance Verification Program and Trailer Safety Week efforts,” said past President Marty Lorick of Triple Crown Trailers Inc. at the event. “But, it’s the NATM Convention & Trade Show that brings the greatest direct benefit to the success of companies in this industry.
“This show brings hundreds of suppliers to one convenient location, which allows trailer manufacturers to shop for everything they need in one place. The last few years have been hard on the industry with supply chain shortages, delays, and price increases. The ability to connect with hundreds of component suppliers and service providers in a single place within two days is not a convenience, but a necessity for businesses in our industry.”
Overall attendance of the 2024 show reached near record-breaking levels with 1,432 registrants. Trailer manufacturer registrations reached a near record as well with 410 individual trailer manufacturing attendees.
The NATM trade show floor featured 230 exhibiting companies with 321 booths. The show also featured 47 brand-new exhibitors—a new record.
Additionally, the New Member Promotion brought in nearly 90 new trailer manufacturer attendees to tour the show. The promotion offered two complimentary full registrations, two complimentary spouse/partner registrations, and two complimentary hotel room nights.
“The NATM Convention & Trade Show brings the best and brightest in the industry together,” said NATM President Marco Garcia of U-Haul International Inc., speaking at the annual awards luncheon. “NATM’s 2023 Convention in Fort Worth was a record-breaking success for trailer manufacturer attendance and I am glad to see that 2024 is shaping up to be another incredible year.”
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Among the accomplishments from the past 12 months, Garcia pointed to government affairs efforts like the Regulatory Roundup and Capitol Hill Visits, along with work behind the scenes to achieve the association’s mission to improve trailer safety and performance, enhance the image of the industry, provide educational tools and events, and offer benefits and services to help member companies succeed.
“NATM is the only not-for-profit in this industry that offers reputable safety resources and needed education, and this year’s educational lineup of workshops were excellent for all the members who participated in the workshops, technical forums, and the tradeshow floor,” Garcia added.
A variety of educational workshops were offered to attendees in 2024:
Technical Forums
- The Power of Innovation: Powder Coating Technologies Unveiled
- Welding and Cutting Automation
- A Comparison of Cargo Trailer Assembly Methods
- VIN Calculations Made Easy
Educational Workshops
- Government Affairs Panel
- Beyond Compliance: Turbocharge Your Sales with the NATM Decal Advantage
- HR Insights Unveiled: Elevating
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“The trailer manufacturing industry, though not without significant challenges, has fared well throughout the course of the last year.” Garcia said. “And as such, so has the industry’s association. With over 1,000 trailer manufacturer, supplier, automobile OEM members and trailer dealer affiliates, NATM continues to grow.”
NATM aims to keep the momentum moving forward and is already planning ahead for the 2025 Convention & Trade Show, to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. 17-20, 2025.
For anyone interested in helping new trailer manufacturers attend and who would like to grow company exposure, including personalized booth-visit invitations for future NATM Convention & Trade Shows, contact NATM Events Director Aileen Valido for information about sponsorship at [email protected].
