Jan 19, 2016

Winter 2016 Philadelphia Gift Show co-located with Philadelphia National Candy, Gift & Gourmet Show hits sweet spot with attendance increase

The January 8-11, 2016 Philadelphia Gift Show kicked off the winter trade show season with a 7 percent increase in attendance over the 2015 edition at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. A strategic collocation with the Retail Confectioners Association of Philadelphia’s (RCAP) 133rd Philadelphia National Candy, Gift & Gourmet Show further boosted this show-over-show attendance figure, attracting even more specialty retailers from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region seeking the latest in candy, chocolate and gourmet specialties, candy-making equipment, packaging and more.

The Philadelphia Gift Show saw notable increases in buyer attendance from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.  Urban Expositions and the RCAP each operated its respective show independently — utilizing one cohesive floor plan at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center to ensure seamless access between each event. In addition, each event honored other’s badges for optimum convenience.

“Our collocation with the Philadelphia National Candy, Gift & Gourmet Show definitely created a buzz on the show floor — with buyers and exhibitors from both events enthusiastically embracing the cross-over business opportunities they saw,” said Dean Russo, group show director, Urban Expositions, producers of the semi-annual Philadelphia Gift Show. “We came into the gift show with a high number of first-time exhibitors joining our substantial roster of top-name lines, best-selling brands and new resources from the region’s premier sales representatives.  Our retailers were excited to see so many fresh new offerings — in so many categories — all under one roof and  so close to home. And, our exhibitors were delighted with the uptick in gift buyer traffic, as well the new candy retail accounts many of them opened, too.”

“It was so rewarding to see the synergy between these two well-established shows.  It was everything we hoped for when we decided to move our winter edition from Atlantic City to co-locate with the gift show here in the Montgomery County area of suburban Philadelphia,” added Paul Esposito, president of the RCAP and owner, Victoria’s Candies.  “Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve received from our own buyers and exhibitors, and the great feedback Urban Expositions has received from the gift show audience, we know we’re off to a very promising start and look forward to reuniting again for winter 2017.”

In addition to the show collocation, the Philadelphia Gift Show also brought a number of other product and service offerings to retailers from throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Tri-State areas.   The show welcomed 58 first-time exhibitors who joined hundreds of other manufacturers and lines in every product category ranging from gift, souvenir and artisan designs to floral resources, home accents, souvenirs and more.

A buyer services roster included a comprehensive educational series, daily cash giveaways, retailer prize giveaways from exhibitors and the return of the popular stay for the last day promotion inviting buyers to shop the last day of the show and enjoy discounted hotel rates, free lunch and show specials offered by exhibitors on the last day of the show only.

The next edition of the Philadelphia Gift Show will be July 24-27, 2016 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.  The next edition of the Philadelphia National Candy, Gift & Gourmet Show will be September 11-13, 2016 at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, NJ.   And, the winter 2017 edition of the Philadelphia Gift Show returns January 6-9, 2017 and will once again co-locate with the Philadelphia National Candy, Gift & Gourmet Show, January 7-9, 2017.