The Denver Gift Show proved that it continues to be the Rocky Mountain region’s premier wholesale buying event for gift, home, jewelry and resort related industries with a successful winter show this February.
This year the show included 210 new stores from across the nation as well as buyers from around the world, including Germany, Canada and Ecuador. The show was attended by over 3,000 buyers and compared to February 2013 there were an additional 282 new buyers.
The show, known as the gateway to the West and the premier platform for lodge and resort displayed a wide variety of unique gift and apparel products, including elegant resort wear, cozy home décor, souvenirs, one-of-a-kind-jewelry and fashionable apparel. During the six-day show the Denver Mart was host to nearly 450 permanent and temporary exhibitors showcasing nearly 7,500 collections and manufacturers.
The show’s highlights included complimentary daily seminars with topics covering visual merchandising, email marketing, retail branding, and creating new looks for your store. There were contests held throughout the show that offered buyers the chance to win a “Swag Bag” full of prizes, free hotel stays, rides to and from the show and a $250 shopping spree certificate. The most anticipated event at the Denver Gift Show was undoubtedly the Saturday Evening Dinner, Fashion Show and Silent Auction. The Plaza was elaborately decorated with an aspen tree theme, reflecting the fall accessories and apparel presented on the runway. The fashion show included top apparel and jewelry trends with over 20 new lines adding energy and excitement to the event. The Rocky Mountain Fashion Show was sponsored by Art Wearables, Jambu, Uber, the DMA and the Denver Mart.
The silent auction, which ran live the entire Show, concluded at the Saturday evening event; it was a huge success and raised $3,750 with all proceeds going to the Great Colorado Flood Relief Project. In addition to the silent auction, the Denver Mart raised over $300 during the bi-annual “$1 Happy Hour” with all money donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Live social media feeds were projected throughout the Show, displaying updates on the Show’s events, promotions and announcements as well as promoting interaction between buyers, exhibitors and the Denver Mart. Strong promotional use of the #denvergiftshow and #DMfashionshow hashtags on our social media platforms connected attendees. The Denver Mart also incorporated the use of SMS texting to alert buyers of upcoming daily events and special promotions throughout the show. Over 10,000 “check-ins” at the Denver Mart on Facebook proved that social media is a powerful tool and encouraged buyers to interact with the Mart at the #dmgiftshow.
The, accommodating staff set a friendly tone and offered an updated and beautifully displayed environment, once again providing buyers and exhibitors with a world class experience in the heart of the Rocky Mountain West.
The Rocky Mountains’ premier Gift Show will return this August 21-25, 2014. Join us once again and enjoy all that the West and the Denver Gift Show has to offer.