MINNEAPOLIS — GEAPS Exchange 2018 set a record for most exhibitors (452) last week while notching the fourth highest attendance for the conference (2,918). Attendees came from 21 different countries. In addition to the trade show, the event featured nearly 40 hours of education in a variety of formats.

GEAPS International President Barb Kraft, Landus Cooperative, Greater Iowa Chapter, has seen the show grow tremendously over the last couple years.  Kraft said it is great to see so many companies support GEAPS as the knowledge resource of the grain and processing industry.

“The conference was a great success,” Kraft said. “There was a lot of great equipment, and vendors loved the space at the convention center. The feedback I have heard is the space was great, it wasn’t crowded, there was a lot to see and check out.”

Another Record Setting Year in the Expo Hall

The Expo at Exchange 2018 set new records for the third consecutive year with 452 exhibitors in 290,000 square feet of exhibit space.  GEAPS Associates Board President Cheryl Lansink, Comco, was one of the exhibitors, and noted the amount of equipment companies had on display in booths.

“I think the sheer amount of equipment and quality hands-on displays helps set GEAPS Exchange apart from other shows,” Lansink said. “As an exhibitor, this show was very good for us. The floor plan is huge and we had a lot of quality traffic.”

Top Recruiter Recognized

GEAPS Recognized Steele Boyd, Riceland Foods Inc, Mid-South as the organization’s top recruiter during the President’s Banquet on Tuesday, March 27.

Other Outstanding Members Recognized

GEAPS recognized outstanding individuals and companies that won annual Safety Awards in their booth at Exchange 2018. Please see the following news releases on the GEAPS website:

• 2017 Credential Earners
• 2017 Safety Award Winners
• 25-Year Members
• 40-Year Members
• 50-Year Member
• Chapter Member of Distinction
• Chapter Cup and Outstanding Chapter Award winners

Top Attendance at Exchanges in GEAPS History

• Kansas City 2017 with 3,859
• Omaha 2014 with 3,379
• St. Louis 2015 with 3,215
• Denver 2018 with 2,918
• Austin 2016 with 2,852

Exchange 2019 in New Orleans

GEAPS Exchange 2019 will be held March 9-12 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Expo Hall will showcase 290,000 square feet of grain handling and processing operations equipment, service and technology solutions. Registration and room blocks will open in the fall.

Booth sales have already begun for Exchange 2019, and 88 percent of available space has already been reserved. View a map of the Expo Hall online, and contact GEAPS sales team by email or call (763) 999-4300 for more information about reserving booth space.

Exchange 2019 Housing

Please be aware that GEAPS does not contact individuals and/or companies with special deals on accommodations for Exchange 2019. GEAPS has received complaints that unaffiliated companies have already contacted exhibitors offering discounted hotel reservations. These offers are scams; individuals have reported lost deposits and fraudulent activity in connection with these activities. The only legitimate emails for Exchange 2019 lodging will come directly from GEAPS, and will contain the logo of the official housing management company.

About GEAPS
The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) is an international professional association that supports its members and the industry by serving as The Knowledge Resource for the world of grain handling and processing industry operations. GEAPS addresses the industry’s critical grain handling, storage and processing operations needs by providing the finest networking, professional development programs, and access to a global marketplace of equipment, services and technology solutions providers. GEAPS’ global network of industry professionals includes more than 2,800 individual members from about 1,150 companies.

— GEAPS

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