Trade Show Scheduling

If you like arts and crafts make plans to be at Seaside Park at Ventura Co. Fairgrounds on October 16-18, 2009. This Harvest Event will feature three days of fun, food, entertainment and one of a kind handmade arts and crafts. Hundreds of artisans will be on hand to showcase truly unique products including eye catching jewelry, colorful glassware and ceramics, hand-woven and embellished clothing, photography, specialty foods, home décor, and much more. And everything is made in America!

Harvest Festival has something for everyone with lots of food, music, and fun. You can eat, drink, and be entertained while you shop for that special something for friends and family and the various trade show booths. A Kids Zone will keep the little ones busy and plenty of bargains will keep you looking.

This year Harvest Festival will be partnering with Food Share of Ventura to encourage attendees to give back to their community. Everyone who donates food will receive a discount coupon for admission to the festival.

The Humane Society of Ventura County will be providing a Parcel Check during the show so that you won’t have to carry all those bags and gifts around. All monies raised will go to this charity.

If you are interested in attending Harvest Festival – Original Art & Craft – Ventura 2009, it will be held October 16-18, 2009 at Seaside Park at Ventura Co. Fairgrounds, 31^st District Agricultural Association, 10 West Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001. For more information you can contact Harvest Festival, 2181 Greenwich St., San Francisco, CA 94123. Telephone: (415) 447-3205. Email: harvest@wesshows.com. You can visit their web site at http://www.harvestfestival.com.

Maryland’s largest antiques event will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in September. Now in its 29^th year, this event is one of the most important antique events for collectors nationwide. It will feature 550 international dealers from 35 states as well as Canada, England, Germany, Italy, South America, and Asia. Knowledgeable collectors, dealers, decorators and shoppers from all over North America, Europe, and Asia attend each year.

There will be over 200,000 individual items in the show including furniture, crystal, art glass, silver, ceramics, quilts, art deco, art nouveau, lamps, ethnic art, paintings, Chinese export, music boxes, oriental rugs, posters, political memorabilia, jewelry, and much more. The entire gamut of antiques from the antiquities to the 20^th century, including the Deco and Modernist periods, will be showcased. Fine art and furniture will be displayed in elegant, room-setting displays. The Antiquarian Book Fair will have 60 dealers offering rate books, first editions, fine manuscripts, autographs and unusual bibliographical material. Over 60 leading silver specialists will have early coins including Georgian, Irish, Russian, and Victorian. Everything will be for sale.

A mini Asian Arts Show will be hosted by 30 dealers specializing in Japanese and Chinese art. Over 70 exhibitors will feature outstanding examples American, English and Continental porcelain and pottery from all periods. Antique and fine estate jewelry will be offered. Glass displays will include American Brilliant, Steuben, Heisey, Moser, Galle, Lalique, Pairpoint, Handel, Tiffany, and more.

Speakers at this year’s event will include Dr. William Noel, Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at the Walters Art Museum; Alice Davis Donahue of Mount Clare Museum House; Mimi Levine of Mimi & Steve Levine Antiques; Beverly L. Norwood of The Norwood’s Spirit of America; and Janet Drucker of Drucker Antiques.

The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show 2009 will be held September 3-6, 2009 at the Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. For registration and information you can visit their web site at http://www.baltimoresummerantiques.com. You can also contact Kellie Senones at Palm Beach Show Group, 500 North Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth, FL 33460. Telephone: (561) 822-5440. Fax: (561) 837-6651. E-mail: info@baltimoresummerantiques.com.

The Boston Gift Show offers a wide selection of products and services catering to the specialized needs of the region’s retailers, sales representatives, and manufacturers. This year’s show is categorized into Gifts, Etc., Souvenir Source, Handmade, and Made in New England sections. Now managed by Urban Expositions, the Boston Gift Show promises a fresh, new energy, an expanded product selection, and a number of business-building initiatives for New England retailers.

Free educational seminars will offer a wealth of ideas and tips including the following:

· 10 Steps to Create a Web Site for Your Store by Shirley Frazier, president of Sweet Survival

· Increasing revenue with a New Location …An Online Location by Derek Griffin, owner, Speartek

· Innovative Retail Strategies for Increasing Your Store’s Profitability in 2009 by Patricia Norins, Specialty Retail Expert and Publisher

The 4^th annual Pride of New England Awards will recognize New England retailers for outstanding customer service, creative merchandising, community involvement, and a strong demonstration of New England pride. Winners will be announced at a special awards reception.

The first 150 buyers to arrive at the show on Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29th, will receive a special tote bag and a list of participating exhibitors and trade show displays to visit to receive a free gift.

On hand during the show will be New England artist and author Margot Datz who will be signing copies of her book, A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids. This book speaks to contemporary women of all ages as Datz playfully addresses many of the more serious issues of courtship, self-esteem, and feminism.

The Boston Gift Show will be held March 28-31, 2009 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210. For more information you can call (678) 285-EXPO or visit their web site at http://www.bostongiftshow.com/Content/23.htm.