Hose + Coupling World was pleased to join hard-working hosers from around the globe on February 12-14, 2018, at the Omni Fort Worth in Texas. An Industrial Distributor Co-operative, IDCO is comprised of private distributor members located across the U.S., engaged in supporting the distribution of hose and coupling products. The welcome dinner, hosted by Kuriyama of America, kicked off the celebration with a traditional Scottish bagpipe player who played everything from “Meet the Flintstones” to selections from the broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar.
In response to positive feedback from last year’s event, one-on-one meetings played a much larger role in the event from previous years, allowing members and suppliers more time to engage, display and, when possible, demonstrate the many product offerings that were on hand at the booths. Many leading suppliers promoted new and innovative hose and accessory products, including high purity hoses at the Terraflex booth, and a nearly-kink-free hose on display at the Kuriyama booth.
Other highlights of the four-day event included presentations from keynote speakers, a strategy session with the IDCO Board of Directors, round table discussions on industry trends and topics, a table top trade show, and Fat Tuesday, a mardi-gras inspired event hosted by Brennan Industries. As always, the event ended with the awards dinner and banquet, announcing the 2017 winners of Supplier of the Year and Member of the Year.
For a full run-down of the event, including this year’s award winners, be sure to check out our retrospective in the April issue of Hose + Coupling World.
