Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft To Be Held In July

Furniture World Magazine

This July, thousands of retailers from across the United States will converge at the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft, July 21-23, 2006, to stock their shelves for the upcoming holiday gift season. Held biannually at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa., the summer Buyers Market features nearly 1,000 artist exhibitors from the United States and Canada displaying new designs in wood, ceramics, jewelry, metal, glass, mixed media, kaleidoscopes, and decorative and wearable fiber. This year’s summer show features more than 150 new artist exhibitors. New exhibitors include M. Porter Studio (furniture; www.mporterstudio.com), Jewelry by Cari (jewelry; www.jewelrybycari.com), Mediums to Masses (glass; www.mediumstomasses.com) and Earthview Studios (ceramics; www.earthviewstudios.com). The show’s popular Breakfast Seminar Series kicks off one day before the official show opening with Internet Marketing: Get the Best Bang for Your Marketing Buck on July 20 at 10 a.m. This panel discussion will offer insight into using the latest Internet marketing tools and techniques to expand a retail business’s bottom line. Immediately following the Internet Marketing seminar, retailers will board a bus for a scenic tour to Lambertville, N.J., and New Hope, Pa., for Merchandising Success. This hands-on seminar will show retailers how stores in these popular tourist destinations use merchandising effectively to inspire and excite their customers. Headlining the Philadelphia Buyers Market’s seminars will be Michelle Lamb of Trend Curve, a trend forecasting consulting agency. Lamb will lead Take on Trends and Keep Ahead of the Curve, where retailers will learn about trend life cycles and what’s on the horizon in home furnishings design. Other seminars include the popular Table Topics, sponsored by C.R.A.F.T. (Craft Retailers Association For Tomorrow), Art of the Deal, sponsored by ABI (Arts Business Institute), and Got Ink? Earn News Coverage, Cultivate Customers and Boost Your Sales. Buyers Market participants will also attend exciting social events, including the Top Retailers Awards ceremony on Friday, July 21, and a party for all Buyers Market participants on Saturday, July 22. About the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft: The Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft is produced by The Rosen Group, a Baltimore-based arts marketing, publishing and advocacy firm. The Rosen Group also publishes NICHE magazine, the exclusive trade publication for retailers of fine craft art, and AmericanStyle magazine, the lifestyle magazine for arts enthusiasts and collectors. For more information contact Daniel Waldman, Public Relations Manager, at 410.889.2933, ext. 218 or danielw@rosengrp.com. Discounted hotel rates are available.