RESTON, VA – Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC ) today announced that it has sold more exhibit floor space to exhibitors at its upcoming GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 2004, than the final sold figure for the 2003 show. The premiere U.S. event for the graphic communications industry will be held October 10-13, 2004 in Chicago’s McCormick Place Complex. Additional space had previously been added to the floor plan three months ago to accommodate an influx of requests for space for this thriving industry event. Based on demand for exhibit space by printing and converting machinery manufacturers, prepress software and supply companies and other exhibitors, the expanded space is expected to be sold out completely in October. The Mailing & Fulfillment Center has been expanded to double its previous size in 2003, offering exhibitors space to highlight their newest and most popular equipment. The Wide Format Pavilion has been expanded as well, to nearly double its 2003 size, allowing for an expanded Innovation Gallery, a special educational theater, more exhibit space, and more displays. “Exhibitors made it clear that GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO is their best marketing opportunity for sales in 2004, and they have shown us that enthusiastically by upsizing, in some cases very significantly, their space in which to participate in the event,” noted Regis J. Delmontagne, president of GASC, producers of this huge industry gathering. Some exhibitors have increased the size of their displays significantly, taking up to 5-6 times more floor space than in prior years. Significant upgrades in space were undertaken by such industry-leading companies as Adobe, Bowe Bell + Howell and GOSS. Additionally, new exhibitors who have not participated directly in the event previously or in recent memory have been added to this year’s list, including Apple Computer, Quark, Roll Systems and others. Exhibitors large and small, new and old, have realized that the best place to find enthusiastic purchasers and informed, well-qualified leads for their sales forces is to exhibit in tradeshows, and the more professionally run and more aggressively marketed the event, the more likely they are to find qualified attendees. According to a 2003 TrendWatch Graphic Arts industry study, 21% of graphic communications professionals use tradeshows as the preferred place to go to gather information on equipment, gather competitive intelligence, and make buying decisions that affect the health and well-being of their businesses. That translates into a large number of buyers at GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO who are in a position to discuss solutions with exhibitors, gather the information they need, and make a purchasing decision based on that information. As more manufacturing and supply companies in the graphic communications industry grasp the numerical advantage that tradeshows provide, floor space will continue to be at a premium. Space at GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO is allocated on a first come, first served basis, so securing space early was critical to selecting a location that met every criteria.