Portland Gift & Accessories Show, Oregon Convention Center In January

Furniture World Magazine

The 147th semi-annual Portland Gift & Accessories Show®, which takes place January 8-11, 2005, is the first gift market of the winter buying season. This January, the Portland show will feature many emerging manufacturers and artisans that have only contracted with this event. In addition, there will be a major emphasis on souvenir and resort product as well as home décor, garden & outdoor product and personal accessories. Retailers will find a myriad of product possibilities making their debut. The upcoming event will feature over 550 booths and 3,000 lines as well as all new educational programming—including two make-it-and-take-it workshops—Demonstration Theater and several buyer amenities. The Market: The Portland market will include approximately 350 exhibiting companies, encompassing 55,000 net square feet of exhibit space at the Oregon Convention Center. The Portland Gift & Accessories Show® will feature a variety of giftware, decorative accessories, personal and fashion accessories, home décor, garden & outdoor product, one-of-a-kind, handmade merchandise, antiques and collectibles, tableware and fine jewelry. Nearly 6,000 buyers are expected to attend the show. “The winter market is perfectly timed for the retailers in this region. Our surveys and personal contacts have confirmed that inventories are at the lowest levels in years. Exhibitors taking space in this event know that buyers need the product immediately, and they are ready to accommodate before they get busy with the larger national shows. This gives buyers a competitive inventory edge,” said David Gilfoyle, Show Manager of the Portland Gift & Accessories Show®, Western Exhibitors, LLC. Portland Gift & Accessories Statistics Anticipated Number of Booths: 550 Anticipated Net Square Footage: 55,000 Anticipated Buyer Attendance: 6,000 Programs: The Portland Gift & Accessories Show® will feature a completely all-new educational programming including a new speaker to the market—Linda Cahan. These programs are specifically designed to educate retailers in increasing their profit margins—including two “teach the teacher” workshops. The following will outline some of the topics: maximizing store square footage for increased profits, generating more sales and setting a store apart from the “big box” chains and decreasing the need for in-store sales. Seminar/workshop attendees will gain valuable, up-to-the-minute information and insight from nationally recognized industry experts. Additionally, a buyer and exhibitor reception will be held on Monday, January 10, 2005, 6:00 pm-7:00 pm. This reception gives buyers and exhibitors an opportunity to relax, network and enjoy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, live entertainment and wine tasting from several Oregon vineyards at no charge—the wine tasting begins at 4:30 pm. Seminars: Saturday, January 8, will kick off the workshops with a keynote address by visual expert Linda Cahan—“Maximize Your Square Footage For Maximum Profits.” This seminar will give detailed information about squeezing every cent out of square footage as it pertains to display and merchandising. “Make More Money In Your Store Day,” Sunday, January 9, retail expert and consultant Andrew Andoniadis will give retailers eight low maintenance ways to increase profits with “Passive Income Generators (P.I.G.s). Popular speaker and motivator Sue Kirby will lead both seminars on “Powerful Profit Centers Day,” Monday, January 10, with two brand new topics covering all aspects of adding new services and putting together powerful promotions to increasing profit margins. Each of these sessions will include a hands-on project attendees can implement in their stores. Seminars on Monday are $10 each or attendees may attend both for $15 total and include either a continental breakfast or buffet lunch. (For a complete list of seminars and programs, please refer to the attached At-A-Glance.) Seminar Reservations: Reservations for seminars and events taking place at the Portland Gift & Accessories Show® can be made by phone, fax, on-line at www.portlandgift.com or mail. Many events sell out in advance and most offer a 25 percent price discount for pre-registration—reservations are required for the Monday sessions. Checks, Visa, Mastercard are accepted and cash is acceptable on-site. Mail requests to: Portland Gift & Accessories Show Special Events, Western Exhibitors, LLC, 2181 Greenwich Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. For additional information, visit the Portland Gift & Accessories Show® web site at www.portlandgift.com or call Customer Service at 415.346.6666 or fax inquiries to 415.346.4965. The pre-registration deadline is Wednesday, January 5, 2005. Buyer Amenities: Discount Day—Monday, January 10, 2005 is a bargain for buyers. Seminars are at a reduced rate and multiple seminars are at a discount. Demonstration Theater—Premiering at the January 8-11, 2005 market, Demonstration Theater features free daily workshops held on the show floor. Exhibitors will demonstrate a host of different ways their products can be sold, displayed or combined to obtain the highest profit margins. “Only In Portland” Show Specials—Many exhibiting companies will be offering specials that can only be found on-site at the Portland Gift & Accessories Show®. Retailers wanting to take advantage of these cost-effective incentives will receive a preliminary listing with their badges and a complete listing on-site. Win a weekend for two to Las Vegas, a Blackberry™ or digital camera—Buyers attending the Portland Gift & Accessories Show can be rewarded just for doing their job. Three lucky retailers will win a weekend for two to Las Vegas, Blackberry™ or digital camera. Game cards will be available on-site at the Launching Pad. Low Cost Hotel Rates—The Portland Gift & Accessories Show® boasts some of the lowest hotel rates in the nation. Travel and hotel contacts are listed below. Parking Rebates—Retailers can receive up to $6 for their parking at specific lots by presenting the coupon located in the badge mailer at the show office. Parking will be available at the recently completed underground garage at the Oregon Convention Center. Log onto www.portlandgift.com or www.oregoncc.org for complete, updated parking information. Product Categories: Oregon Convention Center: Artisans Avenue, Gift & Collectibles, Stationery and Trend Merchandise, Multi-Cultural Merchandise, Personal Care Products, Personal/Fashion Accessories, Garden & Outdoor Living Products, Housewares and Gourmet Products, Home Décor and Accessories, The Jewelry Vaultsm—featuring fine and fashion jewelry, semi-precious stones, precious stones, gold, silver, beads, multi-cultural accessories, watches and FoodFocus—pre-packaged, gourmet food items, The Vintage Collection—antiques and found objects. Travel Information: Travel arrangements can be made through Group Travel Associates, the official travel agent for the Portland Gift & Accessories Show®. To make reservations, call 800.821.0339 (outside California) or 805.496.1251 (Continental U.S.). Reservations also can be made on line at www.gtameetings.com. FAX 805.496.1291. Exhibitor/Attendee Information: For exhibitor information regarding the Portland Gift & Accessories Show®, contact David Gilfoyle at 415.447.3232. Fax: 415.346.4965. E-mail: david@weshows.com. Additional information can be found by visiting Western Exhibitors’ web site at www.portlandgift.com. For buyer information, contact Western Exhibitors, LLC, 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 Western Exhibitors’ web site at www.portlandgift.com.