San Francisco International Gift Fair Posts Upswing from Summer Show
San Francisco, CA — It was a hot time in the City by the Bay last month as the San Francisco International Gift Fair held sway at the Moscone Convention Center August 8 — 11. With more than 600 exhibitors, 200 of whom were new to the market, and 12,000-plus attendees, the semi-annual show was yet another sign of an economy that is heating up. Show officials announced an 8% increase in overall attendance and a 15% percent rise in the number of stores in attendance from the summer 2008 show.
This August SFIGF ran concurrently with The Gourmet Housewares Show®, (www.thegourmetshow.com) which attracted some 300+ exhibitors and 3,000 attendees in its return to San Francisco after having been in Las Vegas for the last few years. Proving that it is better to give than to receive, the SFIGF partnered anew with the San Francisco Food Bank to raise more than $1,550 in direct donations and more than six barrels full of food to feed the area’s most needy.
The co-location of the SFIGF and The Gourmet Housewares Show was well received by buyers and exhibitors alike. According to Sharon Ferguson-Hendley from Wildwood Productions. “Running the Gift Fair concurrently with The Gourmet Housewares Show was a real plus. This sort of cross-fertilization is vital to the continued success of our participation in trade shows. Several buyers from Gourmet came over and inquired about doing projects together! We were thrilled with the Show.”
“This market, the SFIGF, attracted a greater number of serious buyers who were ready to shop and to stock their shelves for the all important fourth quarter selling season,” said Aubin Wilson, show manager. “Plus, the attendance at our educational seminars was greater than ever before, reinforcing how important exhibitors and attendees alike find the ‘added value’ of learning from experts in their field.”
Market attendees were pleased with the breadth of new and unique resources found at the Show. “Talk about a successful show! Would you believe we placed 30 solid sample orders, and all but three were new business for us,” said Janet Kelley of Chinaberry. “Overall, this was one of the best gift show experiences we had this year.”
“The San Francisco International Gift Fair is the only place to come for the best and most up-to-date products in sustainable and organic selections,” said Heather Gahan, a repeat attendee from the Berkeley, CA based shop Earthsake. “It’s the backbone of our business.”
Highlights of the recent show included the timely education sessions by Lynn Switanowski-Barrett on the growing importance of social media sites such as Facebook and Specialty Retail Expert and “Gift Store” Magazine Publisher, Patricia Norins discussing innovative retail strategies. San Francisco web expert and retailer David Defries offered practical tips with his seminar “Websites 101.” Throughout the show, exhibitors and attendees alike offered commentary via the Show’s Twitter and Facebook sites including daily video testimonials broadcast from the show floor.
The summer edition of the SFIGF® attracts some 12,000 retailers ranging from small specialty stores and boutiques to larger retailers including Pottery Barn and Cost Plus World Market; from museum stores to wineries and much more. The Show features more than 600 exhibitors who represent more than 3,000 lines displayed in a setting designed to evoke San Francisco’s classic neighborhoods and districts: from Treasure Island to Union Square to The Haight; from the South of Market cultural district featuring American and international handcrafted wares and museum resources to the fashion-forward Marina District while tabletop, wine accessories, home and garden accents can be found in the “North of the Bridge” neighborhood.
This summer’s San Francisco International Gift Fair® was managed by GLM®, a dmg world media business. Beginning with the February 2010 show, the SFIGF will be owned and managed by Urban Expositions of Kennesaw, Georgia. Visit www.sfigf.com for more information on attending or exhibiting in the Show.
