Dec 5, 2013
The Premier Market For The Midwest January 16-22nd

The nation’s longest running gift show, the Chicago Gift Market, just got better and is thrilled to welcome buyers and exhibitors to Chicago in January. The Chicago Gift Market’s offer for free parking for the first 2,500 buyers, discounted Megabus and Amtrak tickets and affordable hotel rooms as low as $98 a night make it easier than ever to visit the renowned city of Chicago.

The Merchandise Mart offers a world-class background for the show with both a temporary exhibits show floor and a floor of permanent showrooms. The trade show floor has been re- merchandised to make it easier to shop while still offering an extraordinary line-up of new and established vendors including Gourmet and Entertaining, Handcrafted, Design Centric, Emerging Artist, Fashion and Gift sections. The Chicago Gift Market continues to be the largest Handcrafted show in the Midwest and has a growing gourmet section with a new food and wine pairing event featuring wines from throughout Michigan. In the Design Centric area, lines such as Marc Blackwell and Julia Knight are again exhibiting to offer buyers a luxury brand selection. Debra Egli, Buyer Relations Manager, noted, “The Chicago Gift Market is a great resource for long term returning buyers as well as new buyers- all looking to set themselves apart. We have a unique and different offering that they will not see everywhere else”.

In order to offer the Chicago Gift Market attendees a comprehensive market experience, the Merchandise Mart will also be hosting a series of events to educate, entertain and inform the retail buyers in addition to Buyer’s Breaks from brands such as Tea Forte, Kind Bar and Pretzel Crisps.

SPECIAL EVENT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

TRENDwatch

Saturday, Sunday + Monday (January 18-20)

12:15-1:15 p.m.

8th Floor Café

Join for a live model trend presentation during lunch– featuring apparel, accessories and gift products.

Gourmet Cocktail Hour

Saturday, Sunday + Monday (January 18-20)

3- 5 p.m.

8th Floor – West Atrium

Be sure to stop by the Gourmet section of the 8th Floor for a $2 cocktail.

Food and Wine Pairing

Saturday, Sunday + Monday (January 18-20)

Enjoy delicious snacks from the Gourmet section paired with wine from throughout Michigan

Late Night Shopping

Saturday, January 18

5- 7 p.m.

13th Floor

Shop the 13th Floor showrooms while enjoying beer, wine and an array of Chicago’s favorite tasty morsels.

Join Caroline Kennedy, Editor in Chief of Gifts and Dec magazine, in a discussion of what’s Trending in 2014?

Caroline Kennedy – Coffee and Conversation

Saturday, January 18

2:00 p.m.

Being on trend doesn’t mean being trendy. Knowing what’s current in color, pattern and lifestyle products will keep you in tune with the directions in the marketplace and consumers’ taste, and help guide you to choosing the gift and home looks that your customers will be seeking.

Join Gregg Foster of Ruff Idea Design in an interview on Visual Merchandising

Coffee and Conversation Sunday, January 19th

2 pm

13-100

Join Gregg Foster of Ruff Idea Design as he teaches you the ins and outs of visual merchandising and store image. Gregg has over 20 years experience in visual merchandising, starting his career with positions at Bloomingdales and Lord & Taylor then freelancing for companies such as Burberry, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Gucci as well as multiple showrooms in the Merchandise Mart. Gregg’s knowledge of independent boutiques such as Fire & Ice, Go Green Baby and Paper Trail make him the perfect person to speak about store image, space planning, fixture placement and merchandising.

Fair Trade Businesses & Products That Transform Lives

Madeline Kreider Carlson of Fair Trade Federation- Coffee and Conversation Monday, January 20th

2 pm

It can be confusing to understand what fair trade is and how it works — and we want to set the record straight! Learn about what fair trade actually means and why fair trade products are evolving and growing in popularity. This informal session will help you to understand:

• Why fair trade matters to your customer (and why your customer will love fair trade)

• The latest and greatest fair trade product lines and designs

• The realities and misconceptions about fair trade during our “mythbusting” demonstration

Speaker: Madeline Kreider Carlson, Membership & Programs Manager at the Fair Trade Federation

Join SnapRetail as they present a mini-bootcamp on best practices for retail store marketing.

Saturday, Sunday + Monday (January 18-20)

11 am

All seminars last about 45 minutes with 15 minutes afterwards for questions. Attendees will be given a link to download supporting free content.

Saturday, January 18 – 11 am-noon

Seminar Title: Event Marketing: The Secret to Busy Sidewalks

Description: Learn practical ways to drive store traffic through in-store events. Leverage the buy local movement and social media techniques to plan, promote and host an unforgettable in-store event. Make a significant impact on your bottom line while creating meaningful connections with your customers and your community.

Take-away: The Ultimate Store Owner’s Guide to Event Marketing

Sunday, January 19 — 11 am-noon

Seminar Title: Anatomy of a Perfect Social Media Post

Description: You post, tweet and pin daily, but how do you know if you’re sending the best message to your followers? Join SnapRetail to learn the anatomy of effective social messages. You’ll receive actionable takeaways and an exclusive infographic to help you create the perfect message every time.

Take-away: The Anatomy of the Most Effective Posts, Tweets and Pins

Monday, January 20 — 11 am-noon

Seminar Title: The Power of Pinterest for Businesses

Description: Pinterest is the fastest growing social network ever, with more than 70 million people pinning and repinning to their hearts’ content. In this engaging presentation, learn the basics and best practices for using Pinterest to inspire your customers and drive store sales.

Actual retailer examples will be shared and explained to motivate you to jump on the Pinterest bandwagon.

Take-away: The Store Owner’s Guide to Pinterest

Start planning your trip for the Chicago Gift Market now by visiting chicagogiftmarket.com. Permanent showrooms will open January 16-22nd while temporary exhibits will show January 18- 21st. Save the date for the upcoming Spring Market, April 6-8th.

The Chicago Market: is a trademark of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI). Beckman’s Handcrafted ShowTM is a registered trademark of MMPI. The Chicago Gift Market is a quarterly wholesale tradeshow designed for store owners, retail buyers and designers. The market offers a wide array of quality products ranging from home accents and furniture to handcrafted to collectible items, holiday, baby/children’s product, gourmet and more. The Chicago Merchandise Mart is located at 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654. For more information call 800.677.6278 (MART) or visit www.chicagogiftmarket.com.

Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) is a trade show and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space. MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year.