In addition to being the place to be for new products, networking opportunities and awards ceremonies celebrating trends and innovation, this year, the National Hardware Show®, which will be held May 5-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will also be celebrating a milestone: its 70th anniversary. Many Forum Publishing readers go to the show to find the latest wholesale merchandise for their business.

All attendees from buyers to exhibiting companies are invited to take part in the celebration by providing memories about their experiences at past shows. Whether it's an old photo or a favorite story, the National Hardware Show wants to hear from you!

"As we celebrate 70 years of the National Hardware Show, we continue to look ahead to the future of the home improvement industry," says Richard Russo, vice president of the National Hardware Show. "However, we'd also like to take some time to look back and reflect on the memories of years past and see how far we've come and how much things have changed."

The National Hardware Show is asking past attendees and exhibitors to submit memories of innovative products they first saw at the Show, stories of relationships they built or connections they made and photos from past years. Submissions will be compiled and shared before the Show on social media, the National Hardware Show website and more.

The first National Hardware Show was held in New York City in 1945, just as the post-war housing boom began. It was created by Abe Rosenburg, founder of General Hardware Manufacturing Co. (today General Tools & Instruments) and Charlie Snitow, legal counsel for the company. Reed Exhibitions acquired Snitow's trade show business in the early 1960s, and in 1975, the Show moved to Chicago. It was held there each year until 2004, when it moved to the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For the past 70 years, retailers have been attending the Show for a variety of reasons.

"I attend the National Hardware Show each year to see the hottest new products about to hit the market," says Adam Busscher, owner of Picton Home Hardware in Picton, Ontario. "It is the one place where vendors from all over the world attend, and independent retailers like me can access ALL of their product offerings. I also find the educational seminars at the NRHA All-Industry Conference to be a valuable learning experience that I carry back to the store with me. I have the opportunity to network with fellow independent home improvement retailers from all over North America, and I gather great ideas and best practices that I would not otherwise have had the opportunity to collect."