ALEXANDRIA, VA – A total of 22,524 representatives of the global convenience and petroleum retailing industry turned out for this year’s NACS Show — a 6 percent increase over 2008 NACS Show attendance — according to attendance figures released today by NACS. More impressive, the number of attendees classified as “buyers” (retailers, wholesalers and distributors) jumped 16 percent to reach 8,584, the second-largest total ever for a NACS Show. The NACS Show took place October 20 to 23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The NACS Show featured a 350,000-plus net-square-foot exposition floor with 1,222 exhibiting companies — including a record 338 new companies, 66 workshops and three days of general sessions.

“The strong attendance numbers at the NACS Show confirm that our offer resonates with the industry, especially during a tough economic climate,” said NACS Vice Chairman of Convention & Events Dave Carpenter (J.D. Carpenter Companies Inc.). “The NACS Show truly is the place to find new ideas, products and services that can change your business, whether in the standing-room-only attendance at many of the workshops, the dozens of networking events or on the world-class expo floor. The NACS Show is the show to bring your entire management team.”

 “The feedback that we continue to receive from exhibitors is phenomenal,” said NACS Supplier Board Chair Jennie Jones (S&D Coffee Inc.). “To experience double-digit growth in buyer attendance at a time when overall trade show attendance has sharply declined confirms that the global convenience retailing industry is robust and growing.”

A record number of international delegates attended this year’s NACS Show. More than one-third of the 1,599 international attendees were from South America, including nearly 300 delegates from Brazil. International attendance overall was up more than 50 percent from last year.

The NACS Show 2010 will take place October 5 to 8 at Georgia World Congress Center. Online registration will be available April 1. News and updates about the NACS Show are available at nacsshow.com.