MONTREAL, Que. – Expocam 2003, held at Place Bonaventure in Montreal, Oct. 23 through Oct. 25, drew 9,500 visitors and 230 exhibitors (including Truck News and Motortruck) said Joan Wilson, marketing manager for DMG World Media’s trade show division.

Visitor numbers we slightly down from Expocam 2001, but Wilson was not perturbed.

“The visitors were down by a couple of hundred, but the exhibitors were the same, and everyone said there were plenty of business opportunities. I think companies basically sent fewer people but the people who were there were the important ones, fleet managers for example. According to the feedback I’ve been getting, the quality of the show was high.”

The show also provided an opportunity for several companies to unveil new products and services.

Three Montreal area Freightliner dealers unveiled their plan to offer Sterling and Western Star products as well, under the new collective commercial name of Globocam.

Hino Trucks unveiled a new conventional design for its North American products.

And Western Star unveiled its new 68-inch sleeper cab (see the following pages for more details on these and other Expocam events.)

Also on site was Canadian strongman Hugo Girard, who hails from Gatineau, Que. and who wowed visitors by pulling a Mack truck roughly 15 feet.

And last but not least, Expocam saw Truck News and sponsors Goodyear, Markel Insurance and Freightliner present the Owner/Operator of the Year Award to George Blackburn of British Columbia (for more details see the story on page 1).

DMG World Media also announced its purchase of the Cam-Expo Quebec City truck show from Pro-Expo. The show, slated for November, was purchased along with the services of Pro-Expo president Roger Desrosiers, who has been hired on as head promoter.

Wilson said there was no truth to the rumour that Expocam is for sale.

“That’s absolutely untrue,” she said, laughing.

“But I know where the rumor came from.”

Similar rumours were flying at this year’s show n’ shine in Fergus, and were also denied by organizers of that event.

Wilson, meanwhile, said Expocam 2005 is already shaping up well.

“We’ve already got reservation from exhibitors asking for more space,” she said.