Four Reasons Why
Trade Shows Still Matter
Ever since the inception of GiftsWholesale.Com 20 years ago, OmegaNet Inc., publisher of this newsletter and creator of GiftsWholesale.com and five other wholesale portals, has published a list of trade show locations and dates.
OmegaNet's core business is online vehicles for marketing and ordering products, such as e-commerce websites and advertising portals, so why does the company promote trade shows? Isn't "online" at odds with the older trade show model? Here are four reasons we think Trade Shows still matter, in spite of the rise of online channels.
While the marketplace has changed drastically in the past 20 years, trade shows continue to be important.
- Touchy-Feely: Trade Shows give retail-store buyers an opportunity to physically see and touch new (or new to them) products, something that isn't possible through online channels or printed catalogs.
- Instant Validation: Vendors benefit from seeing the reaction of buyers to new product lines, giving them a better idea what sells and what doesn't.
- Serendipitous Discovery: Buyers can roam freely, finding new vendors and product lines that they might not discover otherwise.
- Face Value: Retail buyers can develop personal, face-to-face relationships with vendors that aren't possible online or even on the phone. In the long run, those relationships may be the most important.
Some shows are regional, some are national, some are international in scope. Smaller shows may be focused on a particular type of product or interest area. The larger shows will feature a much broader list of vendors.
The very first issue of this newsletter, appearing in July, 2006, included a trade show calendar, as has every issue since. In December of 2009, Gift & Home Retailer published its first Trade Show Special issue. Since then, the newsletter has featured trade show news in special issues each June and December to mark the beginning of the Summer and Winter show seasons (archive).
Dallas, Texas, is home to a major permanent trade show facility, with a variety of specialized events all year long.
Trade shows continue to be important, giving buyers an opportunity to physically see and touch new products
"OmegaNet's portals and newsletter have become so well known for giving trade show information that some vendors have contacted OmegaNet to apply for participation in various trade shows and some store owners have requested badges from us," says Gary Ivey, publisher of Gift & Home Retailer. "We have to explain that we are not directly associated with any trade show, but it's gratifying that people see us as an authoritative source."
This year OmegaNet has added one more informational venue concerning trade shows. GiftShowSpecials.com gives featured advertiser information about show locations and special offers and opportunities. A series of emails will be sent once a week to 30,000 retail stores during the months of December and January. You may receive some of these emails, but if not, you can still check out GiftShowSpecials.com to see if there are specials you can take advantage of.
Quick Industry News
TRADE SHOW NEWS
Spiker USA to Show Its Unique Beach Line in Atlanta
Spiker Lifestyle Holders come in 26 colors
is located right beside the demonstration kitchen in Atlanta's AmericasMart, Bulding 2, Showroom 8104-B. Come see all 26 glossy colors of the made-in-America Spiker Lifestyle Holder - the ideal problem-solver for the beach and elsewhere. It's the original quality and design you're looking for. Stop by for your free gift!
Boutique owners love to personalize the Spiker with vinyl to create beautiful gifts for their customers – teachers and students, families, girls on beach weekend trips, brides and their bachelorette parties and more. Spikers are also popular gift items for corporate, housewarmings, birthdays and graduations.
A full line of Souvenir Printed Spikers appeal to buyers too, offering the trademarked "Life is Better at the Beach" print as well as other fun sayings. And custom name-drop prints are ideal for every business, company, group and event.
NEW WHOLESALE WEBSITES
Sandicast, Inc., long-time OmegaNet client, has updated its CAMEO EZ© wholesale website. Sandicast captures the spirit of man's best friend like no other company, making them the premier manufacturer of hand-cast animal sculptures. Because of the superb quality of her work, collectors around the world now pursue the demand for Sandicast animal sculptures. Queen Elizabeth and President Clinton are just a few of the many celebrities that have Sandicast animals.
Cleerely Stated has a brand new wholesale CAMEO EZ© website. The company features beautifully designed cards, calendars, wall prints and childrens's cards, designed by Cleere Cherry. Cherry began with a blog which grew into a full-blown encouraging gift line based in Greenville, North Carolina.
Wild Hare Designs just opened its wholesale, B2B, CAMEO EZ© website. Wild Hare features "Linens with an Attitude!" - a broad assortment of whimsical sayings On kitchen smf tea towels and aprons - great new vintage-flax towel and apron collections. Winner of Gourmet Gold Award For Best Textiles. Low Minimums, Quick Shipping and Friendly Service.
Featured Vendors
indicates a CAMEO EZ© web site.
Ala Carte Alice
Click for Details
Ala Carte Alice‘s mission is simple: to provide the best products and service to their customers and use the freshest ingredients that they can find. Alice Wooten takes great pride in her company, their commitment to customer service and in the products they sell. Ala Carte Alice’s products include savory sauces, red dog rubs, glazes, relishes and jams. Black and Blue Bacon, Creme Brulee and Sante Fe are just some of the yummy cheese balls Alice offers. In addition, there are mouth watering desserts, party dips and awesome entrees. You have go to try Ala Carte Alice for an excellent cullinary experience!
Aloha Farms
Click for Details
Aloha Farms brings the tastes and scents of Hawaii to you. The site features Kona Coffee and Kona Green Coffee, Hawaiian honey, Hawaiian Treats like dried fruit, candy and macadamia nuts, plus Coffee scented candles and soap.
AMMA JO Collections
Click for Details
AMMA JO Collections include CrossBody Bags, Wallets, Shoulder Bags, Clutches and Duffles with unique designs. The designs will add a vibrant pop of color to your customers' collection! The AMMA JO brand is all about dreams come true and bringing color to life! After a 15 year corporate career, Amma Jo launched her dream with just one handbag and $100! If you are ever in Pennsylvania, come and visit her showroom downtown Harrisburg, PA. Amma Jo works to educate and empower other women and build a collection of brands that we nurture and we look forward to introducing those collections to you over the years!
Bandilac
Click for Details
Bandilac features custom, hand-crafted, laser engraved gifts and accessories, made in USA. In addition to its own designs, the company welcomes Custom and Private Label projects. With your logo, artwork or other image, Bandilac will create a personalized, custom product. With great price points, low setup charges and fast turnaround, Bandilac's Custom program provides great branding and promotional opportunities for your business.
Candles and Quotes
Click for Details
Candles and Quotes' 100% All Natural All Soy Candles are made by "The Soy Sisters". They pour each and every candle by hand and use only Essential Oils to fragrance their candles, which are candles are 100% Eco-Friendly. Each candle comes with a beautiful quote, that is either meaningful, funny or down right crazy. If you don't see what you like ask "The Soy Sisters" and they will make it for you. They personalize all of our candles so your own uniqueness and quirky personality can be put on a candle. So watch what you say because it may wind up on a candle!
cinda b®
Click for Details
cinda b® was created by Altlant designer Cinda Boomershine. Cinda's love for color and a passion for design, inspired her to launch her own back and accessory line. cinda b® tastefully blends solid colors with modern prints. Poly/nylon fabrics make cindab bags uniquely lightweight yet durable, water and stain resistant, and machine washable.
Coast Lamp Manufacturing
Click for Details
Coast Lamp Manufacturing was established and incorporated in the state of Florida in 1955. Now, a North Carolina Corporation since 1975, located in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. We are a family owned and operated company. Our product is UL/ULC listed and approved and made in the USA. Customer satisfaction and a long lasting relationship are our goals. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.
Dreams After All
Click for Details
Artist Renee Rubach creates beautiful greeting cards and gift enclosure cards for all occassions. Early on, she became interested in creating greeting cards, both the designs and message. She absolutely loves creating products that people can enjoy and use.
Drew DeRose
Click for Details
Drew DeRose's lines run from tabletop to decorative figurines and include candle holders, cannisters and cookie jars. All products are colorful and original. The company has a creative staff that designs merchandise for Drew DeRose Designs.
Get Sassys
Click for Details
GetSassys has fun, colorful, cool, hip gifts that are sure to bring a smile to everyones face! From flour sack towels to baby and toddler t-shirts, koozies, wooden memo holders and linens, Get Sassys designs make shopping fun!
Gina B. Designs
Click for Details
Gina B. Designs is an award-winning greeting card, gift and stationery products company featuring exceptional art and design. With an array of styles, variety of products and outstanding customer service, Gina B. Designs has "something for everyone." All products are proudly made in the U.S.A.
Green Rhino
Click for Details
Miko is recognized as on of the world's leading manufacturers of sentimental gifts. Whether it is for Mom, Sister, A Loved One, Your Aunt, Your Guardian Angel or whomever, there tasteful gifts send beautiful messages to beautiful people. Economically priced with great retail appeal they are just the thing for special occassions or just to say I'm thinking of you.
Holiday Fried Pecans
Click for Details
Holiday Fried Pecans' rise in popularity can be attributed to its first treat a salty, sweet 100% certified Louisiana fried pecan that is guaranteed to satisfy the most demanding of cravings. These great tasting pecans that have less fat & calories than raw pecans are a perfect addition to any store. Lightly sweet, Lightly salty and great on Salads, Sweet Potatoes, Ice Cream, Cheese Cake or as a snack. Holiday Fried Pecans...a curious and delicious flashed-fried Louisiana Pecan that's great for corporate gifts givers, retail locations, cooking, baking or solo-snacking!
Huggy Box
Click for Details
Huggy Box is a great alternative when greeting cards just don't say enough. Sending virtual hugs allows everyone to stay connected. Huggy Box is a Proud Partner of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. A portion of each HuggyBox sold goes to the foundation to find families for children in foster care.
Isa's Naturals
Click for Details
Isa's Naturals is a forward thinking personal-care products company. Our products include therapeutic bath salts, body cleansers and moisturizers. At Isa's, we draw our inspiration from Ethnobotany - the relationship between people and plants.
JTP Wholesale
Click for Details
JTP Wholesale is a wholesale website offering monogrammed bathroom tissue, coasters and a line of t-shirts for the young and old: Future Jock t-shirts and onesies and X-Jock adult t-shirts.
Red Carpet Studios, Ltd.
Click for Details
Red Carpet Studios, Ltd. features All Jazzed Up™ Fashion Accessories for Fall & Spring. A wide range of Giftware for the Home & Garden. Visit our website for New Products & Specials.
Richard E. Bishop
Click for Details
Richard E. Bishop features Men's gifts like glass and mug sets, decanter sets, and "Tipsy Wine Glasses". Also the company features a variety of old-book-themed photo albums, binders and storage boxes.
Sincere Surroundings
Click for Details
Sincere Surroundings offers home decor and gifts that can be personalized with different colors, sizes, names, dates, locations, anniversaries and more. If your customers are constantly on the look-out for that one piece they just have to have, it can be found here – inside Sincere Surroundings.
Smile Drinkware
Click for Details
Smile Drinkware provides custom tumblers to major brand manufacturers and also provides hundreds of unique exclusive tumbler designs to retailers and consumers. Provides high-end, top-quality insulated tumblers.
snoozies!®
Click for Details
snoozies! are not socks and they're not slippers - sort of a crossover between the two and that's why we call them "foot coverings"! snoozies!® are made with a brushed fleece exterior in colorful & fun printed patterns and then lined with a soft Sherpa fleece inside.
SOi Essentials
Click for Details
SOi Essentials is a Northern California based company that offers an array of richly scented candles to enhance your overall wellness. SOi Candles are hand-poured in the USA using 100% All Natural Food Grade Kosher Soy Oil, that burns cleaner and up to 40% longer than paraffin based, wax or soy blend candles. The company's candles are made with 100% cotton lead free wicks, are soot-free and do not emit harmful toxins (such as Benzene) into your home or the environment.
Star Home
Click for Details
Star Home features tabletop and home decor for specialty retailer, catalog and online marketers, the hospitality trade and more. Star Home's designers look to all corners of the world to gather inspiration for this ever-growing market. This inspiration is then turned into real-life, high-quality products by artisan craftsmen.
Stephers Inc.
Click for Details
Stephers Inc. greeting cards featuring 100% Dead Sea Bath salts, funny sea characters, and a little 'BE HAPPY' meditation to lift your spirits ~ LIFE CHANGING SEA SALTS right in your very own tub! SPA CARDS. "TRANSFORMING HUMANITY ONE BATH AT A TIME".
Sunset Vista Designs
Click for Details
Sunset Vista Designs offers you extra margin opportunities, and sells thru at retail. They offer innovative designs, in proven products, with space saving merchandising solutions, and attractive package deals that all add value to the quality products we offer. Many say this is the "best ever" line of innovative gift, garden, and home decor.
Treasures From Greece
Click for Details
Treasures From Greece's mission is to introduce you and make you embrace the Mediterranean way of eating through Greece’s traditional but also contemporary way of food processing and superior aesthetic values. The company's vision is not only to make you eat like the Mediterranean people but also make you embrace the healthy, gleeful way of living and enjoy every aspect of it!
White Mountain Puzzles
Click for Details
White Mountain is ahead of the pack when it comes to puzzles with educational content. Why not learn something while doing a puzzle? If you love to travel, why not put together an entertaining birds eye view of KEY WEST, MARTHA'S VINEYARD, BOSTON or NEW ENGLAND? Or work on a puzzle of states like MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, OHIO, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA or GEORGIA? Or learn something about PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY or THE CIVIL WAR? These challenging projects take artists like DAVID HARRISON WRIGHT, DEB MARCONI, GARY TORISSI, and MAUREEN RUPPRECHT months to create.
CAMEO EZ© is the B2B e-commerce system developed by OmegaNet Inc., publisher of this newsletter, for use by retailers in ordering inventory for their stores. A partial list of CAMEO EZ sites can be found at the company's portals such as www.giftswholesale.com, www.accessorieswholesale.com, www.apparelwholesale.biz, www.decorwholesale.com, www.usmadewholesale.com, www.toyswholesale.com and www.usmadewholesale.com. A complete list of sites is available in the "Directory" on www.CAMEOEZ.com.
Cleerely Stated
Wild Hare Designs
