The feeling was somewhat bittersweet as the convention moves to Las Vegas next year ( Oct. 10-12 ) after spending several years in the Windy City. Most of those against the move commented on Sin City's many distractions; however, others looked forward to being in a new venue.

As for this year's event, conferences again covered a wide variety of topics for fitness professionals, with issues ranging from member retention to medical fitness ( and featuring people such as Chris Powell of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition ) . However, for most people, it was all about the expansive exhibit section. There were many highlights at the exhibit, as usual. Among them were:

—CalNaturale Svelte ( www.sveltebrand.com ) : This product claims to provide lasting nutrition and energy throughout the day. Most items that aim to do this taste like Robitussin, but this drink, with its creamy texture, was the most delicious item I had while I was there. In fact, I was compelled to order a 12-pack a couple days after I attended.

—Vicore ( www.vicorefitness.com ) : Greg Nigro, a walking example of fitness, thankfully was able to explain how to use the Vicore core bench. The bench's website says the item is extremely efficient, causing "the average person to reach total muscle fatigue almost 35% faster than with traditional workout platforms." Of course, it also jokingly says that there's a "handy tissue holder to help stop the tears."

—PurMotion ( www.purmotion.net ) : What I thought was a medieval torture device is a free-standing station with enough space and options for several people to operate simultaneously. Among its features are pull-up bars, monkey bars and various ropes that allow for different exercises.

—Mrs. May's Naturals ( www.mrsmays.com ) : Another company with impressive products, Mrs. May's puts out Classic Crunches, Sesame Strips, Chocolate Rounds and Freeze-Dried Fruit Chips, among other things. The fruit chips were the best thing I tasted at the exhibit, next to the Svelte.

—Aerobics and Fitness Association of America ( www.afaa.com ) : Remember when aerobics conjured thoughts of leg warmers and colored spandex? ( Well, some of us do. ) Nowadays, aerobics include everything from water fitness to kickboxing. The site takes into the world of aerobics, even incorporating the experience of former The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels.

—Sportbell ( www.AspireFitnessProducts.com ) : Adjustable and colorful ( coming in a wide variety of hues, including graphite, orange fizz and sky blue ) , Sportbell is advertised as the "smart dumbbell." Basically, users have 10 sets of dumbbells in one package but sliding and locking the weight plates. In addition, there's free shipping on all orders.

—EFX Embedded Wearable Holographic Technology ( www.EFXUSA.com ) : Certainly, you've heard of the bracelets that restore the wearer's balance to practically superhuman levels. Well, EFX has them and, in keeping with the "super" theme, it has the items with superhero logos in addition to other themes/colors, such as one for breast-cancer awareness and even major-league lacrosse teams. The site allows people to shop for other apparel ( caps and visors ) , anklets and even pet tags.

—Wattbike ( www.wattbike.com ) : Invented in the U.K., the Wattbike has now made it to the States. The bike, which incorporates science and technology, lets users see their results in watts, joules ( energy ) , mph ( speed ) and time per unit of length ( pace ) .

—100% Egg Whites ( www.eggwhitesint.com ) : I was initially skeptical of this product, advertised as "100% Pure Chick." However, each cup contains 26 grams of pure protein, no fat and no cholesterol, and it is better than raw egg whites because the human body cannot completely digest them. ( Then there's that whole Salmonella thing. ) Moreover, 100% Egg Whites tastes pretty good.

—AllDay Energy ( www.alldayenergy.net ) : Packaged suspiciously like the leader in its field, 5-Hour Energy, AllDay Energy reportedly has ingredients 5-Hour doesn't, like D-ribose and L-carnitine. Before this turns into chemistry class, however, AllDay claims it does not contain sugar or sodium, unlike 5-Hour.

—Iron Grip ( www.irongrip.com ) : A leader in the barbell field, Iron Grip is present in most major health-club chains; many major universities ( Yale University, the University of Florida, UCLA and Notre Dame University, among others ) ; the training rooms of such pro teams as the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees; and even hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton and the Bellagio. The company says that the plates' design and coating make them the safest to use.

( Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com )