New York International Gift Fair

This post was written by Alexa Allamano from Foamy Wader.

"The big leagues."

"The real deal."

"The mother of all trade shows."

These are just a few of the monikers given to the New York International Gift Fair held twice annually in New York City's Javits Center and Piers 92 and 94. The event is organized by George Little Management, LLC and features over 3,000 exhibitors from around the globe; attracting some 35,000 buyers. If you're asking, "what's a trade show?" A trade show is an exhibition where businesses sell their goods at wholesale to retailers and distributors. Think of it as a craft fair that sells exclusively to shop owners and catalogs.

This past event held January 28 - February 2 was my first time as an exhibitor. The show is divided into a number of categories including Handmade Designer Maker, Accent on Design, Baby & Child, At Home, Personal Accessories and more.

First time exhibitors are most often sequestered to the "New York's Newest" division housed in Pier 92. The general consensus is that both Pier 92 and 94 see less foot traffic than Javits Center despite there being a free shuttle between the two venues. It makes sense that first-timers are placed in a venue with a more mellow pace so that they can acclimate to the trade show environment without being overwhelmed.

The booths at these events are something to behold. Extremely elaborate miniature store fronts are constructed within spaces measuring 100 square feet or less. National brands exhibit beside scrappy up-starts and there seems to be a greater focus on branding and display than on the products themselves. Creating a memorable and attention-grabbing display is a sure-fired way to help a company stand out amidst the crowd of 3,000 booths.

The show has an extensive exhibitors guide online and also sends weekly emails with helpful reminders, online seminars and tutorials about exhibiting and more. I suggest reading through those thoroughly and repeatedly. I wish I had done that more.

If you are thinking of becoming an exhibitor these are things you will need to consider and budget for:

• Booth Fee - The space I had was $53 per square foot, but this varies depending on the event and size of the booth.
• Rentals - Will you need to rent curtains, carpeting, electricity or furniture? These things add up quickly and can cost more than the booth space itself depending upon your needs.
• Display - Will you be updating your display?
• Freight - Will you be shipping your display items? Freight charges are usually determined by the size and weight of the pallet, with a flat fee below a certain weight which gets more expensive the heavier the pallet.
• Drayage - The cost of the venue delivering your freight pallet to your booth space. Yep, this costs money too. This is sometimes included in the booth package, but not always.
• Promotional materials - Catalogs, Look Books, Line Sheets, Press Kits, Order Forms, Postcards, Rack Cards, Business Cards, Stickers, Buttons or whatever combination thereof. You will need lots of these. Lots.
• Show Special - Will you be offering a special deal to entice Buyers to write an order on the spot? This varies and can be anything from offering free shipping to free bonus product for purchasing over a certain amount or free display items or offering a lower minimum initial order. Use your imagination and make it worth their while.
• Swag - Is there some small item you wish to give Buyers to help make your booth stick out in their memory?
• Advertising - Do you plan to purchase advertorial space in the show directory? This gets really expensive, really quickly but can be the difference between being seen or overlooked.
• Help - Are you bringing additional staff members? It is also possible to hire labor to assist you in your booth during the show.
• Travel expenses - lodgings, airfare/train/gas, food
• Incidentals - Parking, purchasing any forgotten supplies, reprinting promotional materials if you run out, tips, etc.

With all expenses included I invested about 160% the cost of my booth space to exhibit. What did that get me? I wrote orders with a dozen new clients and made contact with 100 more potential new stores. Now its up to me to persistently follow-up with those leads to turn the contacts into clients.

My tips for new exhibitors

• Practice, practice, practice.
• Test your display repeatedly.
• Learn your catalog inside and out.
• Be ready to answer any and all questions about your work.
• Talk to yourself in the mirror about your product.
• Make a list of the features and benefits of your products.
• Oh yeah, and wear comfortable shoes.