Apr 24, 2015

New resources, pairings and outdoor living product at the San Francisco International Gift Fair

Moving to Moscone Center’s North Hall for the July 25-28 edition, the San Francisco International Gift Fair (SFIGF) will showcase its assortment of merchandise from new designers and top name manufacturers. New for July, the SFIGF will expand its Home & Garden product offerings to include a selection of Outdoor Living resources. In addition, the Tabletop, Gourmet & Housewares category will feature “Pairings,” a special spotlight on regional food, wine and craft beer resources. A full range of buyer services and educational offerings round out the show line-up.

“With the move to Moscone Center’s North Hall, Sunday show floor hospitality and extended hours, as well as our special product spotlights, SFIGF buyers have a lot of exciting changes to look forward to this summer,” said Dirk von Gal, vice president of gift, Urban Expositions. “San Francisco, and the state of California itself, are top spots for outdoor friendly activities and year-round entertaining opportunities — making SFIGF the natural buying destination for Outdoor Living resources. We see tremendous growth potential for this category and will be setting the stage in July with a soft launch with our Home & Garden section and look to the winter 2016 edition to debut a full Outdoor Living category offering to our west coast retail audience.”

The July 2015 edition will feature thousands of lines organized into 10 product sectors on the show floor, including: Design, Gift, Makers’ Market, Home & Garden, Tabletop, Gourmet, & Housewares, Museum, Personal Style, Vintage Collection, Treasures to Go and Village Arts.

Show highlights include:

Expanded selection of Home & Garden resources to include offering of outdoor living productsThe SFIGF is expanding its Home & Garden sector in July to spotlight Outdoor Living products that complement the show’s existing product categories, including outdoor accessories, seasonal products and more.

PairingsThis summer, retailers can look for even more items as the Tabletop, Gourmet & Housewares section expands to include the special Pairings spotlight showcasing regional food, wine and craft beer resources and a range of gourmet specialties and accessories. In addition, a special Pairings product display will also be featured on the show floor — highlighting the newest introductions and designs for wineries, gift, gourmet shops and others.Shop late with hospitality until 7 p.m. Sunday, July 26The SFIGF is extending its closing hour on Sunday, July 26 until 7 p.m., offering more time for retailers to place orders, mix and mingle with vendors while offered complimentary refreshments and hors d’oeuvres on the show floor.

New resources in San FranciscoThe SFIGF is attracting first-time exhibitors to the show this summer, including Alkemie Jewelry, Calamarie Eco Accessories, The Grommet Wholesale, Kuumba Made, The Lucky Horse, Pyrrha Design and Quick Lift Cards along with returning destination manufacturers Asta Glass, Cavalinni Papers & Co., Dorfman-Pacific, F.T. Renner, Roman, Inc., Roost and VIP International to name a few. This is an early sampling of exhibitors and attendees are encouraged to check the website for an updated listing.

Transportation reimbursement for SFIGF buyersBuyers are encouraged to stop by the show’s Transportation Rebate Desk along with their buyer badge and parking/transportation receipt to receive up to a $10 transportation credit.

Giveaways, specials and product displaysRetailers will have the chance to enter daily $50 cash giveaways and a grand prize drawing for a two-night hotel stay at the winter 2016 show. In addition, many exhibitors will be offering various savings on their lines, including free shipping, discounted rates and more. And, to help them plan their buying schedule, attendees can visit the special Launching Pad and other Product Preview displays in the North Hall lower lobby area before stepping onto the show floor.

Educational offeringsAttendees can choose from free educational offerings, including programs that are part of the popular Urban Retail Marketing Bootcamp series hosted by Snap Retail. Program line-up includes:

Saturday, July 25Retail Sales in a Mobile World – Is Your Store Ready? | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Presented by: Lynn Switanowski, Creative Business Consulting GroupURBAN RETAIL MARKETING BOOTCAMP: Influence Customers with Instagram | 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.| Presented by: SnapRetail7 Surefire Ways to Improve Your Retail Store Sales This Year | 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. | Presented by: Lynn Switanowski, Creative Business Consulting Group

Sunday, July 26Color & Trend Seminar | 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Presented by: Julia Strzesieski, Cole HardwareURBAN RETAIL MARKETING BOOTCAMP: Maximize the Value of Your Website | 2pm – 3pm | Presented by: Snap RetailCredit Card Processing 101: Is Your Business Paying Too Much to Accept Credit Cards? | 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.| Presented by: Frank Bernacke, Business Development, CardConnect

Monday, July 27Looking for a Retail Advantage? Add Excitement, Add Sales, Add Handmade American Craft |11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.| Presented by: Diane Sulg, president, CRAFT (Craft Retailers & Artists for Tomorrow)URBAN RETAIL MARKETING BOOTCAMP: The Do’s and Don’ts of Email Marketing | 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. | Presented by: SnapRetailWhat’s New with SnapRetail? | 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. | Hosted by SnapRetail

Exhibitor/attendee informationVisit www.sfigf.com for the latest show news. For exhibitor information, contact Kelly McLoughlin at 678.370.0325 or kmcloughlin@urban-expo.com.  For attendee information, contact Jhana Jordan at 678.370.0338 or jjordan@urban-expo.com.Discounted hotel ratesVisit the travel section on the show’s website — www.sfigf.com or call Connections Housing at 855-246-8722.

For more information, visit the SFIGF website.