MIAMI--August 12, 2003-- The American Welding Society (AWS) and the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) officially announced that the GAWDA "Spring Management Conference" will join the AWS Welding Show on April 6, 2004 in Chicago. Two new attractions at the Welding Show will be a GAWDA Pavilion and a Gas Pavilion. Open only on Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 to 5:00, the GAWDA Pavilion will allow its members to exhibit at a special rate. The Gas Pavilion will be open all three days of the Welding Show, April 6 to 8.

"The decision to include GAWDA and the GAWDA Pavilion within our traditional Welding Show is our response to a need within the industry for an all-encompassing Exposition," stated AWS Executive Director, Ray Shook. "The gas and welding industries enjoy a symbiotic relationship in the business world; therefore, it only makes sense for AWS and GAWDA to offer manufacturers and distributors the same convenience in a tradeshow environment."

GAWDA President-elect, Wally Brant, agreed, "I think the industry will endorse this experiment by showing up in record numbers to save time and money, and take full advantage of the GAWDA and Gas Pavilions, and other benefits we will be announcing soon."

Both events will continue to offer a variety of educational programs and conferences, as well as traditional social and Society ceremonies. For more information on becoming a part of the AWS Welding Show, please call John Ospina at: (800) 443-9353, ext.462, or online at: http://www.aws.org/expo.

The American Welding Society is the largest organization in the world dedicated to advancing the science, technology, and application of materials joining. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, AWS serves almost 50,000 members in the United States and around the world. In 2004, the AWS Welding Show will be held April 6-8 in Chicago, Illinois. Additional information on AWS' programs and publications can be found on the Society's website at http://www.aws.org.

The Gas and Welding Distributors Association is located in Philadelphia, and their mission is to promote the safe operation and economic vitality of distributors of industrial gases and related welding equipment and supplies. For more information on GAWDA, please call (215) 564-3484, or visit http://www.gawda.org.