AAN’s reception at ShoWest, the movie theater industry’s annual convention, drew about 120 invited guests from studios, distribution companies, and ad agencies last week for a free mini-massage and other refreshment.

ShoWest, the largest international gathering of motion picture professionals in the world, attracts delegates from more than 30 different countries.

Attendance was up from 80 to 100 last year, which Debra Silvestrin, AAN’s director of meetings and special projects, calls “a pleasant and positive turnaround from 2002.”

“The massage therapist was a big hit as usual,” says. “One guest said he had been looking forward to our event for that reason for two days!”

Twenty-five AAN members stopped by the suite along with delegates from the movie theater industry, including representatives from Sony Entertainment, McCann Erickson, and Landmark Theaters.

“More and more of the guests are taking directories with them or requesting that more be sent to them after the event,” Silvestrin says.

“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the various movie folks as well as the fellow newspaper executives,” says Franklin Elieh, vice president/sales & marketing of Palo Alto Weekly, who was attending his first ShoWest. “I was stunned how well attended the event was … just amazed that these folks valued it that much. … I got a lot out of it from seeing many of my clients away from their desks and offices and in a fun, social event.”