Living and Giving January Market Attendance Recap

Thank you so much for your support of The Chicago Market: Living and Giving. Thanks to your extraordinary effort, good weather, improved messaging, exhibitor growth and a few tweaks, we had phenomenal attendance. It’s not just Especially the Lines, it’s Especially because of your hard work! We are pleased to share the following information.

The Show is GROWING!

• 50% growth of temporaries from July 2009 to January 2010
• 44% of our Temporaries are new to Chicago
• Temporaries SOLD OUT for January 2010!
• Beckman’s™ Handcrafted Show category nearly doubled in size from 85 exhibitors to 145
• Fair Trade Pavilion launched in the Temporaries with great success and will be expanding for July 2010!
• Added a new 14th floor corridor with brighter lights and improved traffic flow
• New directional signage on all market floors
• Shop Late Night was revitalized with an upscale wine/culinary charity event to benefit Gift For Life/DIFFA
• Five new and expanded showrooms
• Great energy on the market floors with buyer perks such as –
  o Fun, upbeat music in the lobby
  o Complimentary popcorn & coffee during market
  o Focused themed displays on first floor
  o Roaming musicians & DJ’s

Buyer Facts & Attendance

• Attendance increased 22% from January 2009
• Launched Amtrak Reimbursement Program for buyers, 500 buyers participated
• Gordon Segal’s Keynote presentation increased our buyer attendance 36% on that Monday of Market.
• Parking garages sold out 3 days in a row at market, giving away over 3,200 parking vouchers.
• 3,500 buyers viewed our online Preview Directory in the two weeks preceding marketing.
• Our Keynote Gordon Segal, attracted over 700 attendees to the seminar.
• Gave away 400 free parking spots to Sales Reps.
• We had 32,000 visitors to our website in December & January; in January, we had 22,000 visitors.

Sampling of January 2010 Attendees

• Sears
• Paper Source Company
• Kohl’s Department Store
• Walter E. Smithe
• La-z-boy
• Kirlin’s
• Blick Art Materials
• QVC
• Javic Wholesale
• Quality Drug
• Gloria Jean’s Coffee
• Von Maur Department Stores
• Crate & Barrel
• Kmart

State Attendance Increases

• Ohio, 31%
• Iowa, 23%
• Illinois, 17%
• Wisconsin, 17%
• Michigan, 16%
• Indiana, 12%

Press in Chicago – We have 41 members of press & media at market, including:

• Gifts & Dec
• Giftware News
• Country Business
• Apartment Therapy
• Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper
• Where Magazine
• Chicago Home & Garden Magazine
• Gift & Home Interactive
• Home Fashions
• The Giggle Guide

LOOKING FORWARD to 2010 –

March Madness
There is a lot going on in March and we are rolling out all the perks!

• OPEN HOUSE in March – Buyer Perks!
  • Buyers who attend the International Housewares Show, Monday & Tuesday, March 15 & 16 OR The True Value Convention, Sunday,
    March 21, will get free taxi reimbursement from McCormick Place to The Merchandise Mart.
  • Access to the Premier Buyer’s Lounge – free internet, coat check, fast and easy registration, and FREE taxi reimbursement!
• The Chicago March Market: Sunday, March 21 – Tuesday, March 23
  • Co-locating with Stylemax, Kidz, & Bridal
• $10 Parking for buyers during March Market.
• FREE Lunch N’ Learn Seminars during March Market for buyers; check out our website to RSVP and get more details, www.ShopChicagoMarket.com

July 2010 Market

• Amtrak reimbursement program.
• $10 Parking for buyers everyday of Market.
• FREE Lunch N’ Learn Seminars for buyers; check out our website to RSVP and get more details, www.ShopChicagoMarket.com
• Send us your Premier Buyer Wish List and we’ll roll out the red carpet for them all year-round, including free hotel, free lunch during market, VIP access to Chicago events, discounted airfare, VIP Lounge, and much more!
• Mailing our July 2010 Preview Directory to over 30,000 buyers – ads are BUY 1 GET 1 FREE!
  • Contact our directory publisher today to get 1st dibs!
    • Ascend Media
    • Dee Busby
    • P 913-344-1411

Travel for July 2010 – rates starting at $129
Book your travel now, our rates are great! Go to www.ShopChicagoMarket.com and click TRAVEL; all your travel needs are right there in a one-stop shop – maps, trolley service, airfare, etc. Plus, if you have any questions call our own MMPI travel group at 800-528-8700, we’re here to help!

Overall, we are very pleased with the January Market and we are already in full swing for July 2010. Keep a lookout for informational emails from our Market Team, they are full of great opportunities to be more and more involved with us – most are free too! We look forward to seeing you soon!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Trisha Schultz at or 312-527-7816.

Gifts and Decorative Accessories published an article on the Top 10 Giftiest Cities, we thought you might find this interesting. Click here to read the article.

Thank you for a great market!

The Chicago Market Team