The Midwest Forest Industry Show wasn't expected to draw big crowds this year, but the Missouri Forests Products Association held it anyway, and the people came.

The two-day exposition of forest industry machinery and equipment ends this afternoon at the Show Me Center. This is usually an off-year for the show, which in the past was held biennially in even-numbered years.

Last year, the MFPA decided to hold back-to-back shows so it wouldn't have to compete with a similar exhibition held on the East Coast. Show director Eric Peters said the decision was a good one.

"We thought we'd have fewer exhibitors this year because we held back-to-back shows, but that's not the case," he said. "In fact, we've expanded the outdoor exhibition area and we've got the same number of indoor exhibitions as last year, so we've actually got more exhibitors than we had during our regular show last year."

Peters said the 150 exhibitors participating this year come because the show is the largest forestry industry exhibition in the Midwest. The newest forest and wood product technology as well as used equipment are on display, he said, and it gives prospective customers the opportunity to preview various brands and talk to distributors and manufacturers before making purchase decisions.

"This isn't your typical come one come all," Peters said. "We'll have anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 people coming through here this weekend, and 90 to 95 percent of those visitors will be serious customers. If you're really good at watching people, you can actually see people making plans to purchase equipment or to haul it off."

Many of the customers travelled long distances to get to the show. Besides coming from the United States, Peters said customers also came from Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Japan, France and Brazil to see what the Midwest had to offer.

Reasons for participating in the show are subtly different for manufacturers and distributors, but they have one shared goal: Exposure.

Clyde Reed, who works with Bakers Products of Ellington, Mo., said manufacturers want the opportunity to demonstrate new technology and show people in the industry how their machinery will help them do their jobs better. This show provides a central location and is less than 100 miles from Ellington, he said, which means his company can bring more products to display.

Jeff Barber, a distributor with Ozark Machinery Company of West Plains said the show gives him a chance to talk with customers outside of their normal work environment. People don't have time to talk when they're working, he said. This exposition is important because it gives potential customers time to look and listen without distractions, he said.

Many times, customers don't purchase from distributors during the show, but the contact stays with them and hopefully they come back and buy something later, he said.

"The laid-back atmosphere is what's important for us," he said. "Really, a show doesn't add any money we can see. You never see any direct results; it's just good advertising. This is where the customers are, period."

The Midwest Forest Industry Show continues at the Show Me Center today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults at the door; children 17 and under get in free.