George Little Management and Western Exhibitors have announced a furthering of their gift industry partnership to include the co-ownership of regional trade shows in Boston, Portland, Seattle and Wash…
George Little Management and Western Exhibitors have announced a furthering of their gift industry partnership to include the co-ownership of regional trade shows in Boston, Portland, Seattle and Washington, DC. In extending the partnership – the basis of which was formed in 1993 when the companies joined forces to produce the San Francisco International Gift Fair – GLM will co-own the Portland Gift & Accessories Show and Seattle Gift Show and Western Exhibitors will co-own the Boston Gift Show and Washington Gift Show. “We“re delighted to further the existing beneficial partnership between GLM and Western Exhibitors. In addition to the trade show operating systems our organizations share, we also have a common philosophy,” said George F. Little, president of GLM. Mike Dean, president of Western Exhibitors said: “There are synergies in our regional gift shows for exhibitors and attendees. We“re excited to be able to broaden business opportunities for our gift industry customers as we broaden our corporate strategies.” Several specific enhancements to the Portland and Seattle shows are planned as part of the partnership. Among these are the addition of special sections – such as At Home Just Kidstuff and Handmade – that GLM has successfully branded at its tradeshows nationwide. In addition, all four of the events will benefit from cross-marketing and promotion of the shows. This strategy will include combined advertising and direct mail strategies to both exhibitors and attendees. George Little Management, Inc., the largest organizer of trade shows for consumer goods in the US, currently produces gift shows in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Washington, DC. GLM also produces and manages the Special Sections at the Dallas International Gift & Home Accessories Show on behalf of the Dallas Market Center. Established in 1924, the third-generation, family-owned business today has headquarters in White Plains, NY, and employs more than 125 staff. Western Exhibitors, Inc., the largest producer of gift trade shows in the western US, currently produces gift shows in Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. The company, which was started in the 1930s, is a family-run operation based in San Francisco, California. The Portland Gift & Accessories Show runs from March 25-28, 2000, and from June 24-27, 2000, and at the Oregon Convention Center. It presents 450 exhibiting companies in 73,070 net square feet of exhibit space and attracts 8,000 attendees. The Portland Gift & Accessories Show generally runs concurrently with Western Exhibitors“ Northwest Home Furnishings Show, an event that utilizes 9,500 net square feet of exhibit space. The San Francisco International Gift Fair runs from February 5-9, 2000, and from August 5-9, 2000, at the Moscone Convention Center and The Concourse. It presents 2,000 exhibitors in 320,000 net square feet of exhibit space and attracts 26,000 attendees from around the world. The Seattle Gift Show runs from January 15-18, 2000, and from August 19-23, 2000, at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center and The Seattle Center (Exhibition Hall, Mercer Forum and Arena Hall). It presents 950 exhibitors in 125,000 net square feet of exhibit space and attracts 17,000 attendees. The Washington Gift Show runs from January 16-19, 2000, and from July 23-26, 2000, at the Capital Expo Center in Chantilly, VA. It presents 325 exhibitors in 52,000 net square feet of exhibit space and attracts 8,000 attendees from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. Exhibitor and attendee information for the Boston Gift Show and Washington Gift Show is available through GLM. Exhibitor and attendee information for the Portland Gift & Accessories Show and Seattle Gift Show is available through Western Exhibitors. Press Contacts: Cathy Fineman, Vice President Public Relations George Little Management, Inc. Telephone (914) 421-3258 FAX (914) 948-6088 E-mail: cathy_fineman@glmshows.com Stacey Heiss, Director of Marketing Western Exhibitors, Inc Telephone (415) 447-3237 FAX (415) 346-4965 E-Mail: stacey@weshows.com