Is business really improving? Is the economy picking up like the numbers suggest? The answer probably depends on where you live and what you do for a living. But there is no doubt that there is more business activity now than there was a year ago. More and more companies are opening up and adding equipment and capacity to their operations.
Electrocoat 2004 is a good example of the current business activity. The conference was held April 14 to 16 in Orlando, FL, at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center. As the dates for the conference approached, the registration was still below expectations and there was concern for the success of the event. But registrations picked up significantly, and it turned out to be an exceptionally well attended event, with 386 total conference attendees from the United States and 11 other countries (conference registrants, staff, press, speakers and steering committee members) and another 80 people who represented their companies in hospitality suites.