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PRNewswire/ -- As the exhibitors at the 2004 National Hardware Show tally their orders and the buyers prepare for the new products in their retail outlets, the show owner and organizer -- Reed Exhibitions -- is counting the show an overwhelming success, but already is focused on continuing to improve the "world's fair of home improvement" for 2005.

The 59th annual National Hardware Show, in its first year in Las Vegas, showed exhibitor and attendee growth for the first time since 1999, with 2,303 exhibitors and 489,023 net square feet of exhibit space. Attendance from national and international retailers was tremendous. In the U.S., attendance from the Northwest, Northeast and Southeast increased significantly over past years while the West region increased by 100 percent.

The show, held at the Sands Convention Center and the adjacent Venetian Ballroom, featured New Product World, Lawn & Garden World, the Industry Summit on Home Improvement, the Golden Hammer Awards and Popular Mechanics Editors Choice Awards.

Reed Exhibitions announced in April that the 2005 National Hardware Show will span both the Sands Convention Center and the Las Vegas Convention Center to accommodate the demand for space. During this year's show, The National Hardware Show announced the co-location of the Gourmet Products Show with the 2005 show.

"We promised the industry that we would create a show that put their interests first and provided an innovative, dynamic venue where the world's home improvement industry could gather to do business -- and we worked extremely hard to live up to that promise," said Rob Cappiello, industry vice president for the National Hardware Show. "We are thrilled with the exhibitor turnout, the retailer attendance and the media coverage of the show. We thank everyone who put their faith in our team and partnered with us to create a truly successful show."

Retailers expressed their excitement with the 2004 National Hardware Show and the business-building opportunities they found on the show floor. "I'm impressed with the National Hardware Show," said Paul Guerra, plumbing buyer for Orchard and Sears Hardware. "There was better traffic than I expected - better than the last couple of trade shows I've been to."

"The 2004 National Hardware Show has been very good," said Dan Harrell, director of marketing for Zircon Corporation. "Since the moment it opened the traffic has been heavy. It is certainly a bump up from the past several years. The final results aren't in yet, but we think it has been extraordinarily good for business, too. The show management has been fabulous, the media attention has been fabulous. I'm nearly certain that next year we'll be back at the National Hardware Show. I just can't imagine why we wouldn't be."

"This is the first National Hardware Show for MicroBlend and our experience has been phenomenal," said David Philbrook, vice president of sales and marketing for MicroBlend Technologies. "We have talked to so many folks across the globe and the response has been outstanding. This show has put us on the map with our customers. It has given us immediate credibility and created great excitement. The results of our meetings here will keep us busy the rest of the year. The response from the buyers has been terrific. Our chief executive officer has already signed up for next year."

"The National Hardware Show has been great," said John Shields, North American sales manager for MSA Safety Works. "We've had a lot of good customers come by and the traffic has been wonderful. We're really pleased. The show certainly met and surpassed our expectations. The biggest surprise was the amount of people who came here. The crowds were terrific. We've already given our deposit for next year and we're excited about being in the new venue. "We've had a great show," said Bud Burkett, director of advertising and marketing communications for Cosco Home & Office Products. "Today's been a really good day. We saw all the big hitters from the major retailers, from the U.S. to Canada and Europe. I think the buyers may have had some questions coming here, but I think all of those have been answered. The attitude of the buyers was very positive. The volume is here, the people are here, the attitude is here and the new products are here, so I think that will help the show for next year. We made the right decision to be here. We're definitely going to be back. We're planning on expanding our booth space for next year to accommodate more of our products."

"We've had an extremely successful show with steady traffic, buyer interest, a strong media presence and overwhelming enthusiasm for our products and brands," said Hannah Thompson, marketing manager for The Original Pawleys Island Rope Hammock. "The 2004 National Hardware Show has been the perfect place to celebrate our 115th year of providing relaxation of historic proportions."
For more information on the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, visit http://www.nationalhardwareshow.com.