NGA Convention Registration Up 5%

LAS VEGAS -- Registration at the 25th annual convention of the National Grocers Association here this week is up approximately 5% over last year, and for the first time in NGA history, there is a waiting list for exhibit space, Thomas K. Zaucha, president and chief executive officer, told SN. Remarking on the strong response to the meeting, Carole Bitter, NGA chairwoman and chairman and CEO of Harold Friedman Inc., Butler, Pa., said the numbers "say something about the success of what NGA is doing for the independent grocer and their distributors." Bitter also presented Zaucha and Thomas Wenning, NGA‘s senior vice president, government affairs, with plaques commemorating their years of service to the association -- Zaucha for "his vision, leadership and stewardship" of NGA since its founding and Wenning for "his dedication to independent operators and the wholesalers that support them." -- Elliot Zwiebach