"Wow." This about sums up IBT's 2008 edition of Tech X 500 at Kansas Speedway.

Perfect weather, great crowds, good times and enthusiastic feedback all contributed to an event that has been rated as "very successful" on a unanimous basis by exhibitors, customers and IBT management alike.

Total attendance neared the 2,000 mark. More than 600 people attended the wide selection of training seminars.

IBT's proprietary barcode scanning system logged in exactly 12,265 live inquires and booth visits to exhibiting IBT suppliers.

Those happy and lucky attendees who got out on the track racked up a total of 410 rides around the Kansas Speedway's 1.5 mile tri-oval at race-like speeds of 165 mph.

Most of the riders were clutching their commemorative photos, still smiling and telling all who would listen about the experience in complete detail.

The "thanks" and "congratulations" are still rolling in, but they include comments like:

"You guys can sure throw a party!"

"…a company that still has a culture that puts customer relationships first…"

"Thanks for making me look like a hero."

"…a great trade show experience!"

"Warm hospitality, exuberant assistance and genuine kindness…"

"This was definitely 'Best In Class.'"

"This is my favorite time," IBT President Stephen Cloud says. "We get to say 'thank you' to the people who are most important to us.

"We get to see a large number of our customers face-to-face. We get to rub elbows and break bread with customers, suppliers, and friends, old and new.

"Many of our employees get a chance to celebrate with these important people as well. It just reminds us and reinforces for us all the reasons we want to work hard, each and every day, to take care of our customers. Thank you, one and all."