Living and Giving at the Chicago Gift Show, July 18-21, 2009

Overall sentiment country-wide is that trade shows from Atlanta to Chicago to Dallas are trending down in both foot traffic and written sales. But can’t we all use some good news? Here it is: Buyers, reps and manufacturers are still attending trade shows, planning for the future and working together to make it through a tough retail environment.

For me, attending the Living and Giving gift show in Chicago paid off. Besides falling off a chair during booth set-up and bruising my leg to the bone (owwwww…), I networked with industry friends, met new accounts, wrote re-orders for existing accounts and even previewed children’s Spring 2010 cut-and-sewn fashions for my apparel-focused buyers. Best of all, I captured accounts that I’ve been courting for 6 months. Optimism and perserverance pay off and if anything, I now plan to expand my trade show schedule this year.

Go ahead and call me a Pollyanna, I can take it…