UPDATE: Urban Expositions to Launch New Chicago Area Gift Show

GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 1/6/2013 8:00:00 PM

ATLANTA- Urban Expositions plans to launch a new Chicago area gift show in January 2014. The Windy City Gift Show is scheduled to debut January 18-21, 2014 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, convenient to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The new semi-annual show is being launched in an effort to re-establish Chicago's position as the leading gift trade area in the Midwest region and attract buyers within a six-hour drive of 24-plus urban areas, including including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Kentucky.

"In studying the marketplace, we felt Rosemont offered countless money and time-saving benefits to buyers and exhibitors alike. An ideal convention city that caters to the business-travel audience from O'Hare, the city offers quality hotels at affordable prices, easy access, an excellent convention facility and a brand new entertainment district filled with restaurants and entertainment venues." explains Doug Miller, president, Urban Expositions.

The Windy City Gift Show's selection will be tailored to reflect the regional tastes and interests of the area - its strong seasonal business, great lakes and coastal towns, lodges and resorts. As a result, this distinctive selection will also offer appeal to top national retailers as well. The show is projected to open with a diverse offering of lines categorized into distinct product sectors, including:
Gifts - the largest section of the show featuring general giftware and a number of key subcategories like gourmet, seasonal, personal accessories, plush and toy;
Handcrafted - a unique section featuring international and domestic artisans, designers and manufacturers of handmade merchandise;
Design Chicago - design-led merchandise custom-tailored to the region's forward -thinking retailers, including contemporary and innovative product lines that cut across all categories, such as giftware, home décor and tabletop;
Jewelry Cash & Carry -offering fine/fashion jewelry, fashion accessories and other items - all available for immediate delivery to the trade.

"We understand the market and the fact that this region is known in the industry for the strong partnerships and loyal business relationships between its large sales agencies and local buyers. These reps know and understand the specialized needs of their retail customers who, in turn, want to do business with people they know and trust. We will work to make sure that the Windy City Gift Show provides the perfect meeting point for these industry members," adds Miller.

The Windy City Gift Show will coincide with the Chicago Market dates, and Urban Expositions may explore any opportunities to work with Merchandise Mart in 2014. "We've been focused on our launch plans which have not included any cooperative efforts to date," Miller told Gifts & Decorative Accessories. "Our 2014 dates do coincide with the Chicago Market dates so we will certainly evaluate any cooperative opportunities that might arise."

Full-scale sales efforts for the Windy City Gift Show will be overseen by Urban Expositions' vice president of new business development, Joan Ulrich. Urban will also launch a targeted buyer marketing campaign to inform buyers throughout the region about the new event and its opportunities.

For Buyer information, visit www.urban-expo.com or call 800.318.2238. For Exhibitor information, contact Joan Ulrich at 800.318.2238, ext. 0337, or email julrich@urban-expo.com