When the alternative newspaper business descends on Memphis later this month, it will witness something it has never before seen at an AAN convention: A bustling trade show filled with exhibitors showcasing a wide variety of products and services.

With one month left before the show begins, AAN had already sold 35 exhibits, a marked improvement over last year's final count of 19 vendors.

The trade show will be open for three full days during the convention, which will be held May 27-29 at the Peabody Hotel. A stroll through the aisles will provide registrants with an opportunity to shop for classified and ad software, syndication services and cartoons, newsracks, voice personals systems, publishing and website management software, and market research and audit services.

And at this year's convention, the first AAN Trade Show Passport Drawing can make a visit to the trade show floor pay off in more ways than one. Attendees who get their passport stamped by ten exhibitors will be eligible to participate in a drawing to win one of several valuable prizes, including two Northwest Airline round-trip tickets between any two cities in the continental U.S.

Here's the complete list of vendors who had registered to exhibit as of April 29 (subject to change):

Acme Features Syndicate-Life in Hell cartoon
Sandra Gatewood, 503/843-4555
Advanced Telecom Services-voice personals
Janet Ketchum/Grace Loftus, 610/254-7198
Baseview-classified software
Chris McGee, 704/788-1752
Cartoon Workers of the World-cartoonists
John Backderf/Ken Fisher/Dan Perkins, 216/932-2489
Classified Group/Sun Type-classified software
Bruce Kuechmann, 941/743-6113
Datemaker/Newspaper Voice Services-voice personals
Carol Carpenter/Laura Vanner/Madelynn Forgey/John Fonagy, 716/626-1592
DesertNet-electronic publishing
Doug Floyd/Andy Sutcliffe/Wil Gerken/Doug Floyd/Tim Smith, 520/622-3039
Direct Response Marketing-voice/Internet personals
S. Arthur L. Benson, 716/633-7535
The Dream Zone-columnists
Mike Loewenberg/Lauri Quinn Loewenberg/Dr. Katya Romanoff, 615/372-8677
Fortec-street box manufacturer
Joe Schnorr/Gordon Peterson, 414/544-9272
The Gay Gal Next Door-columnist
Chryss Cada, 970/225-1309
Go Plastics-street box manufacturer
Ron Faithfull/Ed Gollob, 519/894-9498
Informatel-advertising software
Vincent De Garie, 450/975-9000
Intermountain Color-printer
A. Lloyd Streit/David Justus, 303/443-3800
John Juliano Computer Systems-PlanSystem and GuideLines publishing software
Tor Hansen, 404/377-9450
Peter Kuper/Ward Sutton-cartoonists
Linear Publishing-online publishing and web site development and management
Mary Cox, 317/254-1213
The Media Audit-readership surveys
Robert Jordan/Phil Beswick, 713/626-0333
Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau-tourism
Denise DuBois Taylor, 901/543-5300
Metro Creative Graphics-clip and CD-ROM art
Andy Shapiro, 212/947-5100
MicroVoice-voice personals
Mike James/Bret Busse/Janet Wolnik/Scott Weld/David Schmidt, 612/373-9365
Morcor Solutions-display ad tracking
Ken Morrison, 613/354-2912
Morgan Hill Entertainment-syndicated columns
Robert Hill/Clint Morgan, 360/357-5700
Multi-Ad Services-ad software for layout and classified, sales tools, co-op advertising, clip-art, and photography
Ron Davis and David Norton, 309/690-5308
Red Meat: from the Secret Files of Max Cannon-cartoonist
Max Cannon, 520/881-6138
Scarborough Research-syndicated research
Gary Meo, 512/250-2206
Ted Rall/Carol Lay-cartoonists
212-932-3407
Telepublishing International-voice personals
David Dinnage/Andy Kramer/Teresa Bramble/Erica Mallet, 617/425-2601
Tribune Media Services-editorial database products
Tracy Frank, 312/222-5697
USA.NET-classified e-mail applications
Dianne Reid/Betsy Burns/Cleve Lewis/Steve Coffman, 719/265-2930 ext. 2732
Verified Audit Circulation-circulation auditor
William Jelinek, 415/383-3623
Walterry Insurance Brokers-libel insurance
Walter J. Coady, 301/868-7200
Pat Walters-accounting/management software
Pat Walters, 615/352-4546
--Willamette Week -classified software
Matt Navarre, 503/243-7879

For more information about registering for an exhibit space, call AAN Marketing Director Adam Ebbin at 202-822-1955 or e-mail adame@intr.net.