New Trends and Old World Charm
The expanded Boston Gift Show offers the latest products in an historic setting.
Edited by Matthew Kalash -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 8/1/2001
The 147th semiannual Boston Gift Show will feature some 600 exhibitors, including 150 first-time participants, when it returns to the Expo & Conference Center in Boston, September 9–12. The show, which occupies approximately 132,000 square feet of exhibit space, will showcase more than 2,500 product lines in five sections: At Home, General Gift, Handmade, Made in New England, and The Museum Source. Show producer George Little Management LLC anticipates an attendance of more than 8,000 buyers.
The Boston Gift Show will present a full seminar program offering business insights on the newest trends in retailing from industry experts, as well as an exhibitor mentor program, which gives first-time exhibitors the chance to learn the tricks of the trade from veteran exhibitors. A number of networking opportunities will also be available to attendees. During the opening night reception, buyers and exhibitors are invited to take part in an exclusive viewing of the vintage automobile collection at the Museum of Transportation. A special product preview display, located in the Commonwealth Meeting Room, will showcase a variety of new products on the market. Attendees will also have the chance to win a $1,500 credit toward purchases made at the market in the Open to Buy Sweepstakes. The Boston Gift Show will match what the winner spends (up to $1,500) on three confirmed orders at the show.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Networking Reception at the Museum of Transportation, Larz Anderson Park, Brookline, MA. Buyers and exhibitors are invited to view a collection of historic automobiles while enjoying appetizers and an open bar. Tickets are $30, and include entry to the exhibit and round-trip shuttle service. Monday, September 10, 6:45–9 p.m.
BUYER AMENITIES
Parking rebates of $2 will be given to retailers parking at the Bayside Exposition Center when same-day parking receipts are brought to the Parking Rebate Desk.
Shuttle service will be available from downtown hotels and designated parking lots near the Expo Center, Sunday through Tuesday during the show. Additional shuttle service will be available from the Sheraton Tara Hotel in Braintree, MA, and the Park-and-Ride parking lot located off Interstate 95 in Woburn, MA.
The Buyer's Lounge, located in the Commonwealth Meeting Room, will be open to all attendees during show hours, and will offer refreshments until 11 a.m. each day.
Travel arrangements and hotel accommodations can be booked through Travel Planners Inc. by calling (800) 3531.
SEMINARS
Sunday, September 9
- New Buyer Orientation. 9–10 a.m. A seminar designed specifically to help first-time buyers shop the show. Topics include Pre-Show Preparation, Shopping the Show, Writing Orders, and Post-Show Follow-Up. Tickets are $15 in advance/$20 on site, including continental breakfast beginning at 8:30 a.m.
- "Where Are We Heading?" 2–3 p.m. Get a look at emerging industry trends and discuss what people are talking about, what they are buying, and how the economy will impact it all. Tickets are $15 in advance/$20 on site, including refreshments.
Monday, September 10
- "Happening Holidays: Cashing In on the Non-Traditional." 10–11 a.m. Learn how to go beyond the traditional retail holidays and build not-so-traditional holidays into a retail calendar, bringing new sales every quarter. Tickets are $15 in advance/$20 on site, including refreshments.
SHOW INFO
Hours: September 9–11, 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; September 12, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Address: 200 Mt. Vernon St., Boston 02125
Call: (800) 272-SHOW
