Nov 15, 2012

Attendance Increase, Brisk Business Headline November 2012 Smoky Mountain Gift Show

The November 7-10, 2012 edition of the Smoky Mountain Gift Show recorded a 6% increase in attendance over the 2011 edition. As the second edition under the management of Urban Expositions, the show’s traffic, selection and services received positive feedback from buyers and exhibitors alike.

“The industry has taken notice of our efforts to re-establish the Smoky Mountain Gift Show as the premier product and service destination in the Smokies,” said Doug Miller, President, Urban Expositions. “From convenience features, including continuous shuttle service and badge recognition between our event and the IGES event in Sevierville, to expanded VIP buyer travel incentives, to a broader, deeper product selection, we’re doing everything we can to maximize the show experience for all of our customers. We value the input from all of our buyers and exhibitors and will use it to continue fine-tuning and enhancing the show to make sure we deliver the best-possible business environment.”

Bringing together more than 800 booths, the show highlighted the newest designs and introductions from top-name brands and innovative newcomers in destination, resort and tourist merchandise, souvenirs, t-shirts, beach merchandise, coastal and nautical, lake, mountain and lodge, Made in the USA products, logo products, nature and wildlife products, giftware, jewelry and fashion accessories, home décor items, toys/games and more.

The vast and versatile selection received rave reviews from attending retailers.

“The Smoky Mountain Gift Show offered a huge variety of vendors providing all of the top- selling items,” said David Mitchell, corporate procurement manager, Palace Entertainment. “We brought 11 Palace Entertainment retail managers from amusement and water parks to the show and we were successful in exceeding our purchasing goals.”

“I love the Smoky Mountain Gift Show. It’s great to get so much work done in such a relaxing environment. In addition to filling re-orders with regular vendors, I always seem to find some new goodies while I’m at it, ” adds Lisa Jones, assistant director, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

First-time exhibitor Damian Abernathy, co-owner of PointsEast Marketing, LLC, a rep agency covering the southeastern United States, said: “We brought a wide array of products to this show in an effort to get a barometer reading on the types of product that customers want at this show. We set a strong initial goal for this show and by the end of the second day we had exceeded that number. We then set another goal that was substantially higher and by end of the day Friday, we had attained that number. Traffic was strong and retailers were friendly and receptive. We enjoyed the show, show staff, and the city of Gatlinburg, TN. We can’t wait to come back in 2013.”

“As an original exhibitor at the Smoky Mountain Gift Show since its inception 47 years ago, we finally feel there is someone that will listen to our needs. After two years under the management of Urban Expositions, we can definitely tell that the original Gatlinburg Show is heading in a positive direction,” adds Jo Ferguson, Pawnee Bill’s.

To foster the spirit of fun and hospitality that the Smoky Mountain Gift Show is known for, Urban Expositions hosted an official show party following the close of the show at Blaine’s on Wednesday, November 7 and also continued many of its buyer friendly services, including daily cash prize giveaways, goody bag giveaways, and complimentary refreshments for buyers each morning and afternoon. In addition, Urban Expositions also worked with leading associations including, the Zoo & Aquarium Buyers Group (ZAG) and Living Legends Association to host hospitality and networking events for their members and associates during the show.

The next edition will be held November 5-8, 2013 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. The Urban Expositions management team is already working on programs and promotions to ensure the show’s continued growth. Urban will continue to invest a significant part of the show’s marketing budget to buy down hotel rates at quality properties to once again offer rates in the $49.99 range.

Exhibitor/Attendee Information
For exhibitor information, contact Christina Bell, Urban Expositions, 1690 Roberts Blvd NW, Suite 111, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Phone: 678-370-0335, email: cbell@urban-expo.com. For buyer information, or to register, attendees can contact Whitney Van Atta, at wvanatta@urban-expo.com or call 800.318.2238 or visit www.smokymtngiftshow.com