Urban Expositions Shifts Dates for 2012 Smoky Mountain Gift Show in Gatlinburg, TN - November 8-11, 2012

Press Release

Responding to overwhelming onsite feedback from buyers and exhibitors during the 2011 edition of Smoky Mountain Gift Show at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, TN, Urban Expositions has announced plans to open the show one day earlier to run from November 8-11 in 2012. The move now allows Gatlinburg's Smoky Mountain Gift Show to open on the same date as Sevierville's International Gift Exposition of the Smokies (IGES). Previously, the Gatlinburg show opened a day after the Sevierville show.

"We were overwhelmed by the requests we received from buyers and exhibitors alike who asked us to find a way to open both shows on the same date," explained Doug Miller, President, Urban Expositions. "From independent gift shop owners to corporate and chain store buyers, countless retailers told us that the staggered opening of the two shows created significant challenges for their travel and store staffing needs. Our exhibitors echoed these comments, agreeing that a unified opening date was the right decision for the overall marketplace. Our customers spoke and we listened."

The move now shifts the Smoky Mountain Gift Show's date pattern from a Friday - Monday to a Thursday - Sunday pattern, which also gives buyers the chance to be back in their stores and/or corporate offices by Monday.

The November 2011 edition of the Smoky Mountain Gift Show was the first one under the management of Urban Expositions, who acquired the show in February of 2011.

"This first show was a great learning experience for us," explains Miller. "We've gotten some wonderful input from all of our customers and want to continue fine-tuning and enhancing this show to make sure we're creating the best possible business environment for our exhibitors and customers. We also want to continue to maintain open lines of communication with M&M Gift Shows, the management team for the IGES event."

In addition to a unified opening date, Urban Expositions also plans to continue other cooperative efforts with M & M Gift Shows that were put into place for the 2011 editions of the Smoky Mountain Gift Show and IGES event, including honoring show badges and sharing costs of shuttle service between the two venues.

MORE INFO
Exhibitor information - Christina Bell, cbell@urban-expo.com, 800.318.2238, ext 0335 Buyer Information - Amanda Berry, aberry@urban-expo.com, 800.318.2238. ext 0329; www.smokymtngiftshow.com

ABOUT URBAN EXPOSITIONS
Urban Expositions is a leading producer of gift, souvenir and resort merchandise trade shows. With a successful track record bringing buyers and sellers together in cost-effective and convenient settings, the company's growing show roster includes the Philadelphia Gift Show, San Francisco International Gift Fair, Seattle Gift Show, Grand Strand Gift & Resort Merchandise Show, Boston Gift Show, Ft Lauderdale Gift Show, Galveston Gift & Resort Merchandise Show, Gulf Coast Gift Show at Panama City Beach, the National Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show, Ocean City Resort Gift Expo, Orlando Gift Show, Birdwatch America, and invitation-only event, The Gathering. For more information, visit www.urban-expo.com