August/September 2010

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2010

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ASD/AMD

as Vegas is the place to be August 12-16, 2007. The city is hosting the ASD/AMD Trade Shows Las Vegas, a trio of events that focus on in-demand merchandise. The shows are: the Las Vegas Variety Merchandise Show at the Sands Expo Center and the Las Vegas Convention Center; the Las Vegas Jewelry Show at the Mirage; and the Las Vegas Gift Expo at the Sands Expo Center.

The variety merchandise show features innovative products to promote increased profitability. The show allows buyers to easily navigate through a mix of products to meet their retail needs.

At the jewelry show, the complete collection is organized in dedicated halls for fine jewelry and for fashion forward jewelry. The show has everything from trend-driven lines to estate jewelry to watches to sterling silver and everything in between.

The gift show is unique among industry events. In addition to its growing roster of leading gift suppliers, including plush toys and home décor and furniture, buyers will discover exhibitors not seen at other trade events, offering great prices and unique products.

New to the ASD/AMD Trade Shows in Las Vegas is the launch of the China Brand Show, which will be located at the Las Vegas Convention Center upper level. And Source Direct will return to the Las Vegas Convention Center lower level. The component features 200 international manufacturers offering wholesalers and distributors the opportunity to source popular categories, such as decorative accessories, costume jewelry, fashion accessories, souvenirs and novelties and more.

A new Publishers Pavilion, located at the Sands Expo Center lobby upper level, will feature booths dedicated to leading trade publications, providing a wealth of information. And free seminars focus on the retail industry and maximizing your business. The classes are held at the Sands Expo Center and Las Vegas Convention Center.

George Little Management, LLC (GLM)

The show is also accepting nominations for the third annual Pride of New England Awards, an honor recognizing New England retailers for outstanding customer service, creative merchandising and community involvement. Nominations must be received by Jan. 4, 2008. Finalists will be announced in February, 2008, and the winners will be revealed during the April 5-8, 2008 market. Judges for the competition include Tony DeMasi, editor of Souvenirs, Gifts and Novelties magazine.

M&M Gift Shows, The International Gift Exposition in the Smokies® (IGES™)

This 8th Annual Gift Show in the Smokies will be the inaugural show in the new Sevierville Events Center, the largest trade show exhibit location in the Great Smoky Mountains. The complex is conveniently located 13.9 miles north of Gatlinburg on State Route 66 in Sevierville, Tenn.

The show will feature a greatly expanded selection of merchandise categories including Home Décor/Lodge Accents, Patio and Garden, Bed and Bath, Resort Apparel, Gourmet, Jewelry, Licensed Sports Merchandise and Specialty Retail.

“We have participated in the M & M Show in the Smokies since its beginning, and have seen the circle of buyers and exhibitors grow wider and father, changing to a more diverse and sophisticated show,” said Dennis and Gay Ann McAvoy, of Smoky Mountain Pottery, a vendor.

This new location is more accessible to the airport in Knoxville and to I-40 and I-75. The show is timed perfectly for a brief break before the busy holiday season, the weather is usually beautiful, with colorful leaves still on the trees, and there are a myriad of shows and good restaurants in the area from which to choose.

Buyers will also find: free shuttle service, by appointment, from and to the Knoxville airport; affordable and plentiful lodging choices, with free shuttles to the center from official gift show facilities; free shuttles between the events center and Gatlinburg; and free parking, a buyers’ lounge and buyer cash drawings.

To register for the show online, to inquire about booth space availability or lodging, to reserve meeting space or to obtain further information, visit the show’s Web site or call.

OASIS

Traditionally, OASIS has always employed an Executive Director and staff to produce the bi-annual show. As the current Executive Director, Dana Floyd will be retiring in 2008, and in keeping with current trends, the OASIS Board of Directors has opted to hire an Event Management Company to manage and guide the OASIS Gift Show into the future, according to a press release.

OASIS has announced that KKT Event Management, LLC, owned by Kevin and Kristi Thomas, will be the official management company for OASIS starting September 1, 2007.

“We’re very excited about transitioning to a management company. In this day and age, we felt it was in the best interest of our members and exhibitors to stay fresh and innovative in order to compete within the industry and continue the success of our shows” says OASIS Chair, Mary Jane McKitis.

San Francisco Giftcenter & Jewelrymart

The gift and home furnishings industries have been lagging others in promoting sustainable design and business practices, but they are quickly catching up. More manufacturers are getting in tune with consumer demand for renewable, biodegradable resources, and capitalizing on the trend toward “going green.”

“Protecting the environment is an important issue for the world,” says Michael I. Butler, president of the Giftcenter & Jewelrymart. “And where better than San Francisco – a city that has been at the forefront of the global movement to make America greener – to encourage retail buyers and design professionals to expand awareness of environmental issues.”

Urban Expositions

Shelley Fulghum has been named show director for the Philadelphia Gift Show. Marjorie Richardson will take on the role as show manager for the annual Virginia Gift Show in Virginia Beach, Va., the Ocean City Resort Gift Expo in Ocean City, Md., and the Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Jeannie Dorchak has been named show manager for the semi-annual Miami Beach Gift Show, Miami Beach, Fla., and the annual Galveston Gift and Resort Merchandise Show in Galveston, Texas. And Jennifer Simon joined Urban Expositions in the summer of 2007 as the sales manager for the Philadelphia Gift Show.

The September and October show line-up from Urban Expositions offers an array of convenient, cost-effective venues for souvenir and resort retailers to see the newest introductions and restock for the coming season. Show highlights include:

The Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show, which will return to the Las Vegas Convention Center, located this year in North Hall 2, on September 27-29, 2007 with an expanded product selection. As the only event of its kind in the Western region devoted exclusively to themed merchandise, resort apparel, gifts and souvenirs, the second addition will again run concurrently with Fun Expo and the AMOA International Expo to offer an unparalleled shopping experience for all show attendees.

The Galveston Gift & Resort Merchandise Show will return to the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort in Galveston Island, Texas, October 14-16, 2007. The Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort offers an easy-to-reach destination for the show’s target attendee base. Show highlights include: product selection; free show party opening night; goody bag giveaway; and discounted hotel rates.

Urban Expositions has renamed its Panama City Gift & Resort Merchandise Show to better reflect its new location and versatile product mix. Now named the Emerald Coast Gift & Resort Show, the show returns to the state-of-the-art Emerald Coast Convention Center in Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., for its October 21-23, 2007 edition.

The Northeast’s largest and only resort gift and souvenir show returns to the Rowland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Md., this fall with a new name and new dates. Formerly know as the East Coast Resort Gift Expo, the renamed Ocean City Resort Gift Expo makes a one-time shift off its traditional November date pattern to October 28-31, 2007 to best accommodate the busy fall trade show schedule. The show’s timing and extensive selection continue to offer coastal and shore retailers from Maine to Virginia Beach with an unparalleled selection of themed merchandise, resort apparel, gifts and souvenirs. Show highlights include: an extensive product selection; trick or treat goody bag giveaway; A Halloween show party; a free buyer seminar; and savings on accommodations.

Returning to South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Convention Center December 2-5, 2007 is the “Big Kahuna,” the Grand Strand Gift and Resort Merchandise Show, which will offer retailers an unrivaled selection of themed merchandise, resort apparel, gift and souvenirs in more than 700 booths at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The show will include a Souvenirs, Gift and Novelties Magazine 45th Anniversary Party. In honor of Souvenir, Gifts & Novelties magazine’s 45th anniversary, Urban Expositions will host a special party on Sunday, December 2 at Club Boca located at Celebrity Square in Myrtle Beach. All exhibitors and buyers are invited to join in the celebration and enjoy free drinks, food and music.