Aug 1, 2014

Significantly Expanded Exhibitor Roster, Quality Retail Traffic Headline Second Edition of Windy City Gift Show

More than 20% larger than its January 2014 debut edition at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, the July 26-29, 2014 Windy City Gift Show exhibitor roster reflected the significant increase in participation by the region’s leading sales agencies, top manufacturers, as well as a growing number of handmade and fair trade resources.

Further strengthening the event’s potential to reestablish the Chicagoland area as a viable trade center for the region, the growing selection, as well as a full roster of new programs and promotions, attracted quality retailers, including specialty chains, museums, zoos, concessionaires, boutiques, hospital gift shows, florists, casinos and others from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa and other states.

“There’s no question that the Rosemont location offers an incredibly convenient, easy and affordable trade show location for the region’s retailers,” said Doug Miller, president, Urban Expositions. “Based on feedback we received from buyers and exhibitors alike, the momentum is clearly building and we are confident about the future growth and new business opportunities this show will bring to the region’s gift industry audience.”

“This was a very successful show for us – we wrote several new key accounts and had retailers from the January show come back to place orders with us,” added Denise Riesen, Denise Riesen Photography, Schaumburg, IL.

“Our booth has been busy,” said Patti White, Patti White & Co, Inc., Chicago, IL. “We are committed to the show’s success and look forward to seeing its growth throughout the years.”

Buyers and exhibitors responded favorably to the expanded selection and a number of improvements to the show layout itself. Categorized into three distinct sectors–Gifts, Handcrafted and Live In Style — the show floor was reconfigured for July to accommodate more dining and buyer hospitality areas, wider aisles and more exhibition space. Key growth areas included the Handcrafted section, which welcomed a number of first time exhibitors, including vendors from the popular Andersonville Galleria from the thriving Andersonville retail corridor of Chicago and an increasing number of members from the Fair Trade Federation.

“We love the Windy City Gift Show because of the versatile product mix,” said Joe Maffit, Gustafson & Grey LTD, Galena, IL. “The location couldn’t be more convenient, and the layout of the show makes it easy to find what we’re looking for.”

The show also welcomed a number of first-time exhibitors who had the chance to participate in a special promotional package designed to ensure maximum pre-show and on-site marketing exposure through a series of marketing tools, including special listings on show signage, on the show’s mobile app and “New Exhibitor” floor stickers outside their booths. As part of the promotion, a “Best New Exhibitor Product” competition was held where attending retailers had the chance to vote on products showcased in a special display area on the show floor. The winning design was a Celtic fashion necklace from Timeless Irish Treasures, Wilmington, NC.

The extensive promotional roster was backed by a versatile product selection, including many items unique to the Midwest marketplace.

“This is our first trip to the Windy City Gift Show and we’ve found several new lines for our store,” said Wendy Roof Homra, Roof Brothers Wine & Spirit, Paducah, KY. “We are very pleased and plan to come back in January.”

Attendees also enjoyed a number of new programs and promotions, including a special 3-day Urban Retail Marketing Bootcamp sponsored by SnapRetail that offered buyers the latest social media and marketing techniques to grow their business. This new series joined a full roster of other educational programs open to all registered attendees. In addition, the new 50/50 Giveaway invited buyers to show orders placed on the show floor for their chance to win daily prize drawings for $50 cash and $50 in merchandise credits to use with orders placed with exhibitors. The giveaway culminated on the last day with a grand prize drawing for a free two-night hotel stay at the next edition of the Windy City Gift Show. The grand prize winner was Kitty Johnson, Memories From The Attic, Columbus, OH.

The next edition of the Windy City Gift Show is scheduled for January 24 – 27, 2015 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

EXHIBITOR/ATTENDEE INFORMATION

Visit www.windycitygiftshow.com for the latest show news. For more information on exhibiting, contact Stacey Barrett at 678.831.4579 or sbarrett@urban-expo.com. For information on attending, contact John Motondo at 312.470.1167 or jmotondo@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 34 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.