ISH North America debuts on Oct. 31, 2002 in Toronto, produced by Messe Frankfurt, Inc. and its co-sponsors, the American Supply Association (ASA), the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH), and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors--National Association (PHCC-NA). It is now approaching its target of 400 exhibitors.

The scope of the event should be an important factor in its success. With kitchen & bath products, plumbing, PVF, heating and air conditioning, ISH North America will enable potential new business partners to meet.

Also, LonWorld, an annual event that focuses on technology and building automation, will be co-located with ISH NA. LonWorld attracts an audience of architects, building automation engineers, and residential and commercial real estate developers. Attendees holding an ISH North America Expo Pass will have free admittance to the LonWorld Expo by showing that pass.

In addition to the exhibition, 55 seminars are being offered during the course of the show, conducted by recognized experts plus some new faces. Topics range from business management skills to trends in protecting against Legionnaires' Disease, along with panel discussions about industry issues. Among the scheduled speakers most familiar to readers of PME are: the magazine's consulting editor, Jim Olsztynski, leading a panel discussion on kitchen and bath best practices; Dan Holohan on hydronics and steam heating; and Don Arnold on trends in plumbing product design.

The degree of internationality will also differentiate ISH NA from other industry events. The current list of exhibitors represents 12 countries and continues to grow. About 30% of the exhibitors reserved for ISH NA as of early July had never exhibited in any of its predecessor events. A 16-page brochure that contains exhibitor lists, seminar information and registration applications can be found on p. 67 of this issue.

For information on advertising in the ISH NA Show Directory or Show Dailies, contact Christin Schrei at 630-694-4388 or email: schreic@bnp.com. For information on exhibiting, contact Neil Stalker at 770-984-8016 ext. 14 or email: neil.stalker@usa.messefrankfurt.com. To register for seminars and the Expo Hall, visit www.ish-na.com.