IGES Souvenir, Resort & Gift Show 2017 Proves to Be One to Remember

Los Angeles, CA (December 4, 2017) – The International Gift Exposition in the Smokies (IGES) recently took place in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tennessee, where attendees were treated to complimentary educational sessions, various networking opportunities, meet and greet experiences with industry solution providers and the opportunity to connect with over 1,200 vendors. Among these vendors included first time IGES exhibitors, where it was reported that 81% of attendees placed orders with one or more new vendors as a result of attending IGES

It’s been the best opening show day we have had in years. There was a ton of traffic and many new buyers that are writing orders,” shared exhibitor Lynn Smith of Hillside Orchard Farms.

Expanding on what Smith had to share was John Bartholomew of Liberty Express who said that “our opening day was the best that we have had at any show ever.”

Additional findings from IGES included:

• 94% of those that attended are retailer and / or online stores owners
• 83% of retailers at IGES finalize, authorize or approve purchases at the show
• 54% of the retailers that attend IGES purchase Gift products
• Close to 40% of the retailers that attend IGES shop Souvenirs & Novelties, Apparel and General Merchandise

Retailer Alex Nelson of Windsor Gifts, a Virginia based merchant, said that “without coming to IGES, we’d never discover the vendors we need to find.”

Known for their expansive range of wholesale souvenir – including name-drop merchandise and customizable items – and resort and gift items, IGES is among Emerald Exposition’s Gift, Home, and General Merchandise brands, which include ASD Market Week, NY NOW, Surf Expo, ISS and National Stationery Show. Next year’s IGES will take place November 3-7, 2018.

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About IGES

Founded in 2000, IGES is an annual gift show in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN. As a favorite Tennessee show, it is held in late Fall and draws many buyers from specialty stores across the U.S., the Caribbean, and Canada. The show features more than 1,200 booths of name drop items for souvenirs, coastal gifts, children’s toys & plush, resort apparel and Made in the USA collectibles & keepsakes to stock your retail and online stores. The IGES souvenir gift show is a can’t-miss for retailers in the industry looking for top-quality items at wholesale prices. With many opportunities for networking, many of our past attendees have created long-lasting relationships while finding new suppliers exhibiting at the show

About Emerald Expositions

IGES is owned by Emerald Expositions, the largest operator of business-to-business trade shows in the United States, with most of our shows dating back several decades. We currently operate more than 50 trade shows, including 31 of the top 250 trade shows in the country as ranked by TSNN, as well as numerous other events. Our events connect over 500,000 global attendees and exhibitors and occupy more than 6.9 million NSF of exhibition space. We have been recognized with many awards and accolades that reflect our industry leadership as well as the importance of our shows to the exhibitors and attendees we serve.

For more information on IGES please visit iges.us.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Karla Villalobos

IGES

Marketing Director

323-817-2231

Karla.Villalobos@emeraldexpo.com