Chicago Market Living and Giving
THE CHICAGO MARKET: LIVING AND GIVING® ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTS
SAVE THE DATE:
It's never too early to book reservations for the July 2009 The Chicago Market: Living and Giving®, as summer in the city is something every buyer should experience. Call 312.527.6448.
July 2009: The Chicago Market: Living and Giving®
Showrooms: Thursday, July 16 through Wednesday, July 22
Market Suites: Saturday, July 18 through Tuesday, July 21
THE CHICAGO MARKET: LIVING AND GIVING® ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTS, ONE-OF-A-KIND DESIGNS AND FIRST-CLASS AMENITIES DURING THE SPRING MARKET, MARCH 29-31, 2008
The Chicago Market: Living and Giving® delivers the right mix of value and trend for retailers during the Spring Market at the Merchandise Mart, March 29-31, 2009. Adding to the expansive amenities and products that buyers deserve, The Chicago Market is combining forces with STYLEMAXTM and The National Bridal MarketTM, giving buyers access to the largest women's apparel and bridal markets in the country.
"The Chicago Market: Living and Giving is a destination for incredible collections of premier products and one-of-a-kind events," said Joan Ulrich, senior vice president, MMPI. "From Living and Giving GREEN to Lake Living to our partnership with STYLEMAX and The National Bridal Market, our unique programming and on-trend offerings bring new inspiration to the Chicago experience."
Plan Chicago:
Plan your time in Chicago before you arrive with our online market planning and product locator tool, Plan Chicago. Search for all your favorite categories, showrooms and exhibitors and print the results mapped to a floor plan to help guide you through market with ease.
Travel to Chicago:
Travel to Chicago for next-to-nothing this Market. Contact Mart Travel Services at 800.528.8700 for all of your discounted Market-travel needs.
STYLEMAXTM
The Chicago Market is partnering with STYLEMAXTM, the premier women's accessories and clothing show, March 29-31 at The Merchandise Mart.
The National Bridal MarketTM Chicago
The National Bridal MarketTM Chicago, the nation's largest and longest-running bridal market, brings the best of Bridal to The Merchandise Mart, March 29-31, 2009.
ZAD exhibits their latest in Spring and Pre-Fall jewelry styles at Stylemax - The Chicago Merchandise Mart
ZAD has the latest in Spring and Pre-Fall jewelry styles! Visit us to see our latest additions, including amazing Peace Sign Jewelry!! Always affordable! See us at The Chicago Merchandise Mart - Stylemax. (read more)
The Chicago Market: Living and Giving® delivered the product and trends buyers needed this past January
The Chicago Market continues its mission to keep retailers informed and enlightened with the latest trends and fashion wrapped within not-to-be missed special events and education.
Highlights included a seminar with Robyn Waters, former vice president of Trend, Design & Product Development for Target, live store-front window display demonstrations from a Chicago residential/commercial designer, Mick Santiago and a Speed Networking luncheon. The Chicago Market: Living and Giving® ran from January 15-21 with Temporaries including Beckman's Handcrafted Show® from January 17-20.
"The Chicago Market: Living and Giving® has once again proven itself as a destination for incredible collections of premier products, educational programs and one-of-a-kind events," said Joan Ulrich, senior vice president, MMPI. "Buyers and exhibitors alike were extremely impressed with the new programming offered this year, from Interactive Window displays and a Speed Networking lunch to a fashion show that joined giftware and fashion together."
Highlights of the January 2009 The Chicago Market: Living and Giving® included:
Interactive Window displays
Attendees overflowed the main entrance lobby as Chicago-based designer Mick Santiago created three different store window display vignettes on Saturday-Monday, January 17-19. The displays were created live in The Merchandise Mart's North Lobby and featured three themes - Holiday, Gift and Lifestyle.
Buyers talked to Santiago and asked questions as he created a themed, life-size window storefront with up to 100 resources from The Chicago Market in under an hour. Each day, Santiago provided buyers with information to replicate the same displays in their front store windows.
Speed Networking
New vendors to The Chicago Market were offered a great opportunity on Sunday, January 18 to pitch their products to almost 60 buyers during the Speed Networking event. Vendors were given three minutes per table to do their best sales pitch as buyers enjoyed lunch. Exhibitors walked away with new contacts and more sales while buyers got the latest scoop in product news direct from the source.
"That lunch created 20% of my sales at the show and some nice future opportunities," said New Exhibitor Al Davis, Forever Green Art.
The Chicago Market Fashion Show
The Fashion and Gift Markets collided as attendees were treated to a fashion show that highlighted the hottest product and clothing items featured at this year's Market. Models displayed a blend of fashion, home goods and giftware to demonstrate new ways that products can be used and displayed. Attendees walked away with new ideas on how to merchandise their own stores.
Special Events:
The Market's Signatures events were well-attended and allowed industry personalities and authors of best-selling titles to mingle with attendees and autograph copies of their latest books.
This Market, Signatures personalities included: the unveiling of "Domino: the Book of Decorating", Lisbeth Levine, author of "The Wedding Book: The Big Book For Your Big Day," Anna H. Blessing, author of "eat,shop Chicago," and Cortney Heimerl, author of "Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft and Design."
Midwest - CBK Join Forces to create the country's premiere Gift, Holiday, Candle, Home and Garden Décor company
(Cannon Falls, MN - May 11, 2009) - Midwest of Cannon Falls, Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of the Colonial Candle® and Seasons of Cannon Falls® brand products, and CBK Styles, Inc., a leading wholesaler of quality home and garden décor, gifts and accessories under the CBK Styles® brand, proudly announce today a major merger in the giftware and home décor industries, with the introduction of Midwest-CBK, a premiere home accents company. The newly combined company, Midwest-CBK, unites two renowned and highly respected market leaders, combining the strengths of both companies with best-in-class people, products, service and support into one source for independent retailers. The Midwest-CBK merger will be led by Frederic Contino as president, with Terry Stewart as executive vice president of sales, Renee Solczak as vice president of national accounts, and Renee Williams as vice president of independent accounts.
 "We are excited and proud to combine the power and resources of two extraordinary, successful companies with strong values and similar business practices into one, creating the foremost single source for outstanding products, as well as a renowned sales force and superior customer service for independent retailers," says Frederic Contino, president, Midwest-CBK. "Although Midwest and CBK have their own unique and separate histories, we have always shared a common goal of serving the same independent retailers with outstanding, on-trend, competitively priced products, and backing that up with a dedicated sales force and responsive, reliable customer service. Our alliance brings many benefits and opportunities to retailers through an unmatched selection of gift and home products from one company, more innovation in products and programs, depth of design, sourcing, manufacturing resources and customer service and support, backed by a company that is stronger than ever as one."
 "As Midwest-CBK's parent company, Blyth has made an investment in combining these two power players, showing our confidence in the giftware and home décor industries, and in the growth opportunities of Midwest-CBK," said Robert B. Goergen, Jr., president of Blyth, Inc.'s Multi-Channel Group.
Midwest-CBK will continue to offer its three key brands: Seasons of Cannon Falls, Colonial Candle and CBK Styles. The company will operate with offices and manufacturing plants in Cannon Falls, Minn.; Elkin, N.C.; Franklin, Tenn.; Hong Kong; Shenzhen, China; and Union City, Tenn.
The merged Midwest-CBK will provide retailers:
- The broadest range and styles of holiday, seasonal, gift, candle, home and garden décor products from one company.
- Greater field support at the store level to help drive retail business.
- A commitment to design and innovation.
- More convenient showroom locations across the U.S., with eight locations totaling over 100,000 combined square feet.
- Industry-renowned customer service that is responsive and reliable.
- Retailer-friendly web sites with full ordering capabilities to make order placement and management easy and accessible any time.
- State-of-the-art distribution centers in Elkin, N.C., and Union City, T.N.
- A strong partner with a long-term strategy to help retailers grow and succeed.
For more information about the Midwest-CBK merger or product lines, please contact your local Midwest-CBK account manager, visit one of Midwest-CBK's eight showrooms, or call Midwest-CBK at 800-776-2075, or visit www.midwestofcannonfalls or www.cbkhome.com.
The Chicago Market: Living and Giving uses Social Networks to Reach out and Stay connected
The Chicago Market: Living and Giving® announces its new Twitter and Facebook accounts along with a new webinar program.
Buyers, designers and retailers will be able to receive timely information faster, participate in discussion boards and have access to photos and information from markets throughout the year, through these social services. Twitter and Facebook will allow for a greater connection between the gift community and The Chicago Market.
In addition to Twitter and Facebook, The Chicago Market will also be offering interactive webinars leading up to market as another way to inform and stay connected. Buyers, designers and retailers will be able to participate in webinars on a variety of subjects such as, how to use the amenities offered on the Chicago Market website, learn about new programs and much more.
"The Chicago Market is always striving to bring its attendees and exhibitors the most up-to-date products, events and programming," said Joan Ulrich, senior vice president, MMPI. "Joining Twitter and Facebook is an extension of that and will allow for a greater interface between The Chicago Market and the gift & home community."
Features of the Twitter and Facebook
Twitter
- Up-to-date industry news ("tweets")
- Links to websites like Yowza.com, an upcoming iPhone app that retailers can use to grow their businesses. When an iPhone user engages the application they see nearby stores that have special deals.
- Highlights on new product that can be found at The Chicago Market.
- Comments from other industry insiders, vendors and retailers.
Facebook
- Market pictures
- Upcoming dates of industry events
- Discussion topics related to the industry
Webinars
Upcoming retailer webinars will feature helpful market shopping tips and buying trend recommendations. Previous webinars, about the Handcrafted industry, have been highly successful with over 150 participants. Contact Sara Hall .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for information on upcoming webinars.
Go to http://twitter.com/TheChicagoMRKT to join Twitter for free and receive real-time updates.
Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chicago-Market/24555003579?ref=mf to join Facebook for free.
Notes from the Publisher
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BAOlink, Inc., is pleased to have brought you this preview of the July 2009 The Chicago Market: Living and Giving®. If you plan to exhibit at the next Chicago Market: Living and Giving® and would like to have your company press release included in the newsletter please contact us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When you attend the July 2009 The Chicago Market: Living and Giving®, plan to see our BAOlink Featured exhibitors including:
Colonial Candle® Celebrating a Century of Lighting the Candle Industry
The Gift Box Corporation offers numerous 'green" products - July Chicago Market
MeraVic 2009 Seasonal Silk, Fall and Holiday Collection at The Chicago Market
cinda b Debuts Fresh Styles for Fall 2009 at The Chicago Market - Living & Giving
Backyard Soaps & More at The Chicago Market - Living & Giving
ZAD exhibits their latest in Spring and Pre-Fall jewelry styles
Sawdust City - now expanded to over 2,000+ sign designs! At The Chicago Market
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