Welcome to the 2004 International Autobody Congress and Exposition. And on behalf of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), the sole sponsor of NACE, I'd also like to welcome you to the ninth installment of the NACE Online Daily News. The Online Daily News, published by AutoInc. magazine and ASA, is the official online news source for this year's event.
Vernon Crump, NACE 2004 chairman, kicked off this year's event today with the opening of the General Session. He was followed by NASCAR Driver Kyle Petty. His keynote address offered a unique look at life with without the checkered flag in hand.
The doors of the Exposition opened at 10 a.m., immediately following the General Session. With over 2,000 booths and more than 500 exhibiting companies offering a full range of new products, equipment and technologies, this year's Exposition promises to offer something for everyone in the collision repair industry.
Yesterday, the Congress got underway and was highlighted by a number of management, industry and technical seminars. And tonight's "Happy Hour" set the stage for a fun-filled NACE 2004, complete with an abundance of networking opportunities.
As president of ASA, I truly look forward to the next few days. The coming days promise to offer something for everybody. The Online Daily guarantees to deliver the most complete up-to-date coverage of NACE 2004, and we invite you to visit this site often as it will be updated constantly throughout the show.
Again, welcome to NACE 2004.
Sincerely,
Ron Pyle
ASA President and Chief Staff Executive
Over 500 exhibiting companies were ready to show off their products at the world-class exposition.
NACE spouses were treated to a three hour session with Edward Walker, one of the designers from TLC's Trading Spaces.
After a long day on the exposition floor, attendees enjoyed "Happy Hour on the Exhibit Floor."