The Seattle Gift Show August 27-31, 2005

Furniture World Magazine

Pre-Show Report San Francisco: The 150th semi-annual Seattle Gift Show®, the largest gift and decorative accessories event in the Northwest region, will feature over 4,500 product lines in over 1,300 booths-many from Northwest and Canadian manufacturers that retailers will find only at this growing market-all under one roof at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. The summer market will run from Saturday, August 27 through Wednesday, August 31, 2005 (with Early Buying Days at the Seattle Gift Center Thursday, August 25 through Friday, August 26). In addition, all new educational programming, one-on-one consultations with retail experts, free Demonstration Theater workshops, a free wine tasting event and several buyer amenities will be featured. The Market The Seattle market expects to feature over 800 exhibiting companies, encompassing 129,000 net square feet of exhibit space housed at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. Throughout the 12 product divisions-At Home; Cash & Carry; FoodFocus; GardenStyle; Gift & Collectibles; Handmade®; The Jewelry Vaultsm; Northwest Directions; Personal Style; Gift/Stationery & Trend; Village Arts; and The Vintage Collection-The Seattle Gift Show will feature a variety of giftware, decorative accessories, personal care and fashion accessories, home décor, one-of-a-kind handmade merchandise, antiques and collectibles, pre-packaged gourmet foods and confections, tableware and fine jewelry. Approximately 13,000 buyers are expected to attend the show, which runs in cooperation with the permanent showrooms of the Seattle Gift Center. “The Seattle Gift Show provides retailers with unique resources-products they cannot find at other gift markets. The artisans, representatives and manufacturers exhibiting here understand the special needs of the buyer. We have seen the formation of strong buyer/vendor relationships that are maintained for years. The friendly, hassle-free atmosphere this market offers makes the Seattle show a wonderful place to do business,” said Mike Dean, President, Western Exhibitors, Inc. Seattle Gift Show Statistics Number of Exhibiting Companies: 820 Net Square Footage: 129,000 Anticipated Buyer Attendance: 13,000 Number of Seattle Gift Center Showrooms: 150 Programs and Events This season, the Seattle Gift Show management team has developed new educational programming with workshops designed to educate retailers on how to increase profit margins. See Seattle At-A-Glance or visit the website-www.seattlegift.com-for complete details. Additionally, a special free wine tasting event will be held on Sunday, August 28, 2005-6:30 pm-9:00 pm at the Crowne Plaza hotel featuring wonderful wines from Washington's highly sought after vineyards and a buyer and exhibitor reception will be held on Monday, August 29, 2005. Seminar Reservations Many seminars sell out in advance and most offer a pre-registration price savings. Check, Visa, Mastercard are accepted and cash is acceptable on-site. Reservations can be made and prepaid online at www.seattlegift.com, via fax at 415.346.4965 or by mail at: Seattle Gift Show Special Events, Western Exhibitors, Inc.., 2181 Greenwich Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. For additional information, call Customer Service at 415.346.6666 or fax inquiries to 415.346.4965. The pre-registration deadline is Wednesday, August 24, 2005. Buyer Amenities Concierge Service-A professional concierge service will assist Seattle Gift Show attendees and exhibitors with reservations for some of Seattle's best restaurants, guided tours and special events throughout the city and the wine region. The Concierge Desk will be located on the 4th Floor lobby of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. Shuttle Service-Free shuttle service will be available during show hours between the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, The Seattle Gift Center (permanent showrooms) and designated show hotels from Saturday, August 27-Wednesday, August 31, 2005. Complete shuttle schedule information will be posted at all venues and show hotels. Parking Rebates-Pre-registered retailers can receive up to $6 for their parking by presenting coupons located in the badge mailer and promotional postcards. Parking is available on a first come, first served basis. There is ample parking at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center and other downtown lots. To pre-register, please call 800.346.1212 or log onto www.seattlegift.com. Cyber Café-Located on the 4th Floor of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center's South Hall Lobby, the Cyber Lounge is made available for both buyers and exhibitors. Here, they can check and respond to their e-mail and get the latest information (at no charge) from The Seattle Gift Show's website www.seattlegift.com. Buyer Rewards Program-All buyers can participate in this special promotion just by placing a minimum order of $300. Retailers bring their eligible orders to Booth 3755 on the 4th Floor of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center to obtain tickets. Reaching certain order pinnacles increases the chances of being rewarded with valuable prizes-from cash rebates for orders to exhibitor prizes. Demonstration Theater Workshops-Retailers will learn from Seattle Gift Show exhibitors how to sell and profit from the product found at The Seattle Gift Show! These half-hour demonstrations are geared with the retailer in mind and will give you a wide variety of ways to add powerful profit centers to your store! ALL SESSIONS ARE FREE!!! Private One-On-One Consultation with Industry Experts-One-on-one consultations with a retail expert, Internet/web expert or visual expert are available. Participants may discuss a wide range of business-related topics including promotions, store layout and remodeling, web design, retail pricing, e-commerce, budget, open-to-buy and financials. Attendees are encouraged to bring a detailed outline of the topics they wish to discuss. Appointments for these private consultations can be made by contacting Stacey Heiss at 415.447.3237 or stacey@weshows.com. Travel Information Travel arrangements can be made through Group Travel Associates, the official travel agent for The Seattle Gift Show®. To make reservations, call 800.821.0339 (outside California) or 805.496.1251 (Continental U.S.). Reservations can be made on line at www.gtameetings.com. Fax 805.496.1291. Exhibitor/Attendee Information For exhibitor information, contact Western Exhibitors, Inc., 2181 Greenwich Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. Phone: 415.346.6666. Fax: 415.346.4965. E-mail: showinfo@weshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the show's website at www.seattlegift.com. For exhibitor information about the Handmade® division, contact Andrea Casanova, divisional manager, at George Little Management, LLC, 888 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Telephone 213.430.2331. Fax: 213.362.5660; e-mail: andrea_casanova@glmshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the show's website at www.seattlegift.com. For exhibitor information about the Personal Style division, contact Sonia Mansfield, divisional manager, at George Little Management, LLC, 888 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Telephone 213.430.2307. Fax: 213.362.5660; e-mail: sonia_mansfield@glmshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the show's website at www.seattlegift.com. For buyer information, contact Western Exhibitors, Inc., 2181 Greenwich Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. Phone: 800.346.1212 (outside Bay Area); 415.346.0168 (within San Francisco Bay Area). Fax: 415.346.4965. E-mail: showinfo@weshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the show's interactive website at www.seattlegift.com. The Seattle Show Dates and Hours Pre-Show Report San Francisco: The 150th semi-annual Seattle Gift Show®, the largest gift and decorative accessories event in the Northwest region, will feature over 4,500 product lines in over 1,300 booths—many from Northwest and Canadian manufacturers that retailers will find only at this growing market—all under one roof at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. The summer market will run from Saturday, August 27 through Wednesday, August 31, 2005 (with Early Buying Days at the Seattle Gift Center Thursday, August 25 through Friday, August 26). In addition, all new educational programming, one-on-one consultations with retail experts, free Demonstration Theater workshops, a free wine tasting event and several buyer amenities will be featured. The Market The Seattle market expects to feature over 800 exhibiting companies, encompassing 129,000 net square feet of exhibit space housed at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. Throughout the 12 product divisions—At Home; Cash & Carry; FoodFocus; GardenStyle; Gift & Collectibles; Handmade®; The Jewelry Vaultsm; Northwest Directions; Personal Style; Gift/Stationery & Trend; Village Arts; and The Vintage Collection—The Seattle Gift Show will feature a variety of giftware, decorative accessories, personal care and fashion accessories, home décor, one-of-a-kind handmade merchandise, antiques and collectibles, pre-packaged gourmet foods and confections, tableware and fine jewelry. Approximately 13,000 buyers are expected to attend the show, which runs in cooperation with the permanent showrooms of the Seattle Gift Center. “The Seattle Gift Show provides retailers with unique resources—products they cannot find at other gift markets. The artisans, representatives and manufacturers exhibiting here understand the special needs of the buyer. We have seen the formation of strong buyer/vendor relationships that are maintained for years. The friendly, hassle-free atmosphere this market offers makes the Seattle show a wonderful place to do business,” said Mike Dean, President, Western Exhibitors, Inc. Seattle Gift Show Statistics Number of Exhibiting Companies: 820 Net Square Footage: 129,000 Anticipated Buyer Attendance: 13,000 Number of Seattle Gift Center Showrooms: 150 Programs and Events This season, the Seattle Gift Show management team has developed new educational programming with workshops designed to educate retailers on how to increase profit margins. See Seattle At-A-Glance or visit the website—www.seattlegift.com—for complete details. Additionally, a special free wine tasting event will be held on Sunday, August 28, 2005—6:30 pm-9:00 pm at the Crowne Plaza hotel featuring wonderful wines from Washington’s highly sought after vineyards and a buyer and exhibitor reception will be held on Monday, August 29, 2005. Seminar Reservations Many seminars sell out in advance and most offer a pre-registration price savings. Check, Visa, Mastercard are accepted and cash is acceptable on-site. Reservations can be made and prepaid online at www.seattlegift.com, via fax at 415.346.4965 or by mail at: Seattle Gift Show Special Events, Western Exhibitors, Inc.., 2181 Greenwich Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. For additional information, call Customer Service at 415.346.6666 or fax inquiries to 415.346.4965. The pre-registration deadline is Wednesday, August 24, 2005. Buyer Amenities Concierge Service—A professional concierge service will assist Seattle Gift Show attendees and exhibitors with reservations for some of Seattle’s best restaurants, guided tours and special events throughout the city and the wine region. The Concierge Desk will be located on the 4th Floor lobby of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. Shuttle Service—Free shuttle service will be available during show hours between the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, The Seattle Gift Center (permanent showrooms) and designated show hotels from Saturday, August 27-Wednesday, August 31, 2005. Complete shuttle schedule information will be posted at all venues and show hotels. Parking Rebates—Pre-registered retailers can receive up to $6 for their parking by presenting coupons located in the badge mailer and promotional postcards. Parking is available on a first come, first served basis. There is ample parking at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center and other downtown lots. To pre-register, please call 800.346.1212 or log onto www.seattlegift.com. Cyber Café—Located on the 4th Floor of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center’s South Hall Lobby, the Cyber Lounge is made available for both buyers and exhibitors. Here, they can check and respond to their e-mail and get the latest information (at no charge) from The Seattle Gift Show’s website www.seattlegift.com. Buyer Rewards Program—All buyers can participate in this special promotion just by placing a minimum order of $300. Retailers bring their eligible orders to Booth 3755 on the 4th Floor of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center to obtain tickets. Reaching certain order pinnacles increases the chances of being rewarded with valuable prizes—from cash rebates for orders to exhibitor prizes. Demonstration Theater Workshops—Retailers will learn from Seattle Gift Show exhibitors how to sell and profit from the product found at The Seattle Gift Show! These half-hour demonstrations are geared with the retailer in mind and will give you a wide variety of ways to add powerful profit centers to your store! ALL SESSIONS ARE FREE!!! Private One-On-One Consultation with Industry Experts—One-on-one consultations with a retail expert, Internet/web expert or visual expert are available. Participants may discuss a wide range of business-related topics including promotions, store layout and remodeling, web design, retail pricing, e-commerce, budget, open-to-buy and financials. Attendees are encouraged to bring a detailed outline of the topics they wish to discuss. Appointments for these private consultations can be made by contacting Stacey Heiss at 415.447.3237 or stacey@weshows.com. Travel Information Travel arrangements can be made through Group Travel Associates, the official travel agent for The Seattle Gift Show®. To make reservations, call 800.821.0339 (outside California) or 805.496.1251 (Continental U.S.). Reservations can be made on line at www.gtameetings.com. Fax 805.496.1291. Exhibitor/Attendee Information For exhibitor information, contact Western Exhibitors, Inc., 2181 Greenwich Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. Phone: 415.346.6666. Fax: 415.346.4965. E-mail: showinfo@weshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the show’s website at www.seattlegift.com. For exhibitor information about the Handmade® division, contact Andrea Casanova, divisional manager, at George Little Management, LLC, 888 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Telephone 213.430.2331. Fax: 213.362.5660; e-mail: andrea_casanova@glmshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the show’s website at www.seattlegift.com. For exhibitor information about the Personal Style division, contact Sonia Mansfield, divisional manager, at George Little Management, LLC, 888 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Telephone 213.430.2307. Fax: 213.362.5660; e-mail: sonia_mansfield@glmshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the show’s website at www.seattlegift.com. For buyer information, contact Western Exhibitors, Inc., 2181 Greenwich Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. Phone: 800.346.1212 (outside Bay Area); 415.346.0168 (within San Francisco Bay Area). Fax: 415.346.4965. E-mail: showinfo@weshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting the show’s interactive website at www.seattlegift.com. The Seattle Show Dates and Hours Saturday, August 27-Tuesday, August 30 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Wednesday, August 31 9:00 am - Noon Saturday, August 27-Tuesday, August 30 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Wednesday, August 31 9:00 am - Noon