Apr 13, 2012
Urban Expositions Announces Sales Team for New LA Gift Show

Urban Expositions has announced the exhibit sales team for The LA Gift Show, its new semi-annual exhibition set to debut February 2-5, 2013 in California’s Anaheim Convention Center. Led by Show Director Dirk von Gal, the team of seasoned Urban show management and sales executives will also include Lisa Lundrigan, who comes to Urban from Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.’s (MMPI) California Gift Show. The team will report to Joan Ulrich, Vice President of New Business Development for Urban Expositions.

The full team includes Show Director Dirk von Gal and Divisional Sales Managers Lisa Lundrigan, David Gilfoyle, Elisabeth Sherrer and Jim Walker.

“We see a definite need and tremendous opportunity for a strong, unified Southern California gift trade show,” explains Doug Miller, president, Urban Expositions. “We’re positioning this new show in the heart of what is one of the largest and, perhaps, most underserved retail marketplaces in the country. And, we’re backing the new show with an experienced, talented team that knows how to build a versatile, well-edited product mix that will be custom-tailored to the specialized needs of this trend-driven buyer base.”

Urban Expositions anticipates the first edition of The LA Gift Show to open with an exhibitor base representing more than 2,000 domestic and international lines featured in five well-balanced product categories ideally suited to the West Coast retail audience, including Design LA, Gifts & Home (including Personal Style and Spa, Resort, Home & Garden, Gourmet and Seasonal), Handcrafted, Cash & Carry and The Market. The Market will accommodate retailers’ immediate needs with a blend of global style, gift and home resources available for immediate delivery or order-writing.

As Show Director, Dirk von Gal will oversee and direct all sales and operations for The LA Gift Show, with a special sales focus on the show’s Gifts & Home and Design LA categories. Most recently, von Gal, who joined Urban Expositions in 2011, has served as sales manager for the company’s San Francisco International Gift Fair (SFIGF) and Seattle Gift Shows. He will maintain his sales responsibilities for SFIGF in addition to his new role. Prior to joining Urban, von Gal spent years in the financial services industry serving as a head equity trader for Amalgamated Banks of South Africa and operating his own firm, vG capital, Inc.

Lisa Lundrigan joins Urban Expositions as Sales Manager for The LA Gift Show. She will be responsible for sales of the Resort, Personal Style and Spa areas within the new show’s Gifts & Home category, as well as The Market category. Lundrigan comes to Urban from MMPI where she served as Divisional Sales Manager for the California Gift Show’s Resort, Fashion Accessories and Boutique divisions. She joined MMPI when that company acquired the California Gift Show from dmg world media where she was working as the show’s sales manager. With years of trade show sales experience, Lundrigan has also served as Vice President of conference production company Shorecliff Communications and launched Action Girl, a Long Beach, CA trade show that was subsequently purchased by dmg world media and added to its Surf Expo exhibition.

The LA Gift Show sales team will also include veteran members of Urban’s sales force, including:

David Gilfoyle, Sales Manager, General Gift & Resort areas of the Gifts & Home section. Gilfoyle joined Urban’s sales team in 2009 when the company acquired the SFIGF and Seattle Gift Shows from dmg world media where he was handling sales for those shows at the time. Gilfoyle will maintain his sales responsibilities for those two shows, in addition to his new role with The LA Gift Show.

Elisabeth Sherrer, Sales Manager, Design LA and Handcrafted sections. Sherrer has been with Urban since 2008. In addition to her new responsibilities for The LA Gift Show, she also serves as sales manager for the company’s Seattle and Portland Gift Shows.

Jim Walker, Sales Manager, The Market and Cash & Carry sections. Walker joined Urban Expositions in 2008. Walker also serves as sales manager for the Treasures To Go/Cash & Carry sections of the SFIGF and Seattle Gift Shows, as well as the Portland, Seattle and San Francisco Christmas Cash & Carry Shows.

Urban Expositions announced its plans to launch The LA Gift Show earlier this year. Designed to revitalize the trade show marketplace for retailers throughout Southern California and surrounding areas, the new, semi-annual exhibition will bring the industry’s top brands, trend-setting lines and emerging talents together under one roof, in on convenient, cost effective showplace.

In addition to its full-scale sales efforts, Urban will launch an aggressive, targeted buyer marketing campaign designed to blanket the region with messaging about the new event and its opportunities. Pre-market promotions will be backed up by a full roster of on-site programs and promotions designed to complement and enhance the new show’s extensive product selection, including special trend-forecast presentations and business-building seminars, networking events, show hospitality and entertainment.

Urban Expositions will also tap into the convenient features and money-saving accommodations offered by the state-of-the-art Anaheim Convention Center and the surrounding infrastructure of the popular Anaheim Resort District. The Urban team has already begun working with area hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues and parking structures to negotiate deeply discounted rates and other special offers for visiting buyers.

For Buyer information, visit www.thelagiftshow.com or call 800.318.2238. For Exhibitor information, contact sales team members at 800.318.2238: Joan Ulrich at ext. 0337 | julrich@urban-expo.com; Dirk von Gal at ext. 0345 | dvongal@urban-expo.com; Lisa Lundrigan at ext. 0339 | llundrigan@urban-expo.com; David Gilfoyle ext. 0336 | dgilfoyle@urban-expo.com; Elisabeth Sherrer at ext. 0324 | esherrer@urban-expo.com ; Jim Walker ext. 0360 | jwalker@urban-expo.com

ABOUT URBAN EXPOSITIONS
Urban Expositions is the largest gift, airport and souvenir trade show organizer in the U.S., hosting a total of 24 shows each year. In January of 1996, Urban Expositions launched the semi-annual Philadelphia Gift Show, which has become one of the largest and most successful regional gift events in the nation. Since then, the company has continued to grow through acquisitions and new show development. Based in Kennesaw, GA, Urban Expositions offers a complete roster of trade show management services, including exhibit sales and marketing, operations, exhibitor/ attendee promotions and services, media relations, seminar and event coordination, database development and management. For more information, visit www.urban-expo.com or call 800.318.2238.




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