ABC opens show to entire industry

On Oct. 30, the board of directors of All Baby & Child, the parent company of the ABC Kids Expo, announced it will change the attendance policy for the September 2007 show in Las Vegas.

The first two days of the show, which runs Sept. 7–10, will be reserved for independent specialty store buyers and the last two days will be open to all industry buyers.

The change in the attendance policy is a controversial issue with advocates on either side. Many questions were raised anonymously as posts to our online story including how ABC could say it supports independents if it is now opening the show to everyone, why the show moved from a Sunday opening to a Friday opening and where the money from additional booth sales would go.

ABC Chairman Michael Schaffer said all of the profits from ABC will continue to be spent for the benefit of independent specialty stores, referencing the Early and Often ad campaign ABC launched in September with the goal of driving consumers to independent retailers.

Schaffer defends the board's decision by explaining that "no enterprise exists in a vacuum. This is true of specialty stores, mass marketers, manufacturers and even shows."

He said that ABC competes with JPMA, High Point, Cologne and now the World Market Center in Las Vegas for both buyers and exhibitors and this year ABC had to turn away 240 exhibitors who will either choose not to exhibit or find a show that will accommodate them.

"If you want to compete against ABC and you have 2 million square feet of temporary exhibit space going up in 2008, 240 potential exhibitors is a pretty good start," Schaffer said, referring to the World Market Center's plans for growth. "As for ABC accommodating the excluded exhibitors without finding a respectful way to open the show, what happens to shows that have more exhibitors than buyers? To respond to competition is not smoke and mirrors and to choose survival is not greed."

Buyers suchas JCPenney's Joni McConnell, who was excluded from attending ABC in the past, supports the change in the attendance policy. "You mean I'm legal now? It was the right decision for everyone in the industry."

Rafael de Castro, executive director of NINFRA, refuted the suggestion posed online that association or buying groups receive any financial incentives from the ABC board.

"I can promise you there have been no promises of financial reward offered to NINFRA in order to gain our support of this decision," de Castro said. "We support the ABC board and therefore support decisions made by the board. I can understand how some independent retailers are opposed to this decision. From their perspective today, they cannot see how this decision will benefit them. I believe the ABC board is making decisions based on a long-term vision and trying to do what is necessary to keep independents competitive in this industry."

Several vendors also supported the change.

Risa Popkin of BananaFish said the decision has been a long time coming.

"I have never thought a closed show benefited anyone," she said. "The idea that closing off the show to the mass would protect the independents was an illusion, not a reality."

Jim Moore, president and CEO of Stork Craft Manufacturing, echoes Popkin's thoughts.

"In my view the industry is not large enough to support two venues on opposite ends of the country which are virtually the same in nature," he said. "The stark reality of ABC opening the doors to everyone on the last days will be the death knell to JPMA's show. Instead of the slow erosion of support it has been receiving, it will likely be swift and severe if they do not climb on with ABC. We will be supporting both shows this year (providing we get the space we want at JPMA), however, if ABC opens the doors to everyone, we will move forward with ABC exclusively this September and beyond because the return from the ABC show, for our company, is far superior."

Jacque Sternquist, vice president of sales and merchandising for Baby's Dream Furniture, said the company will attend the 2007 ABC show as it has for many years.

"We look forward to being there as one of the very few manufacturers that sells only to specialty stores," Sternquist said. "We do not have any plans to sell to mass merchants in the future but will attend the show for our dedication to the baby specialty stores."

JPMA management is supportive of ABC's new format. Its 2007 show is April 23–25 in Orlando.

"Like the annual JPMA show, the ABC show has become an important part of our industry," said Andy Keimach, JPMA chairman. "Both shows offer retailers and manufacturers opportunities to bring great products to consumers. We look forward to a very exciting International JPMA spring show this coming April in Orlando, and we are certain that manufacturers and retailers alike will find great value in attending both shows."

Some vendors and retailers, however, are not happy with the new attendance policy.

"I guess good things don't last forever," said retailer George Gunderson, of Magic City Kids in Billings, Mont. "The fall-out is yet to be seen, but it shows if you carry a big enough stick and swing it around enough, someone will fall to their knees and cry uncle."

"I respect the extra efforts in selectiveness and discretion that ABC has taken in allowing certain buyers to the show," said Caitlin Keller from House. "It is extremely evident while exhibiting at the show that the buyers are professional business owners of retail stores where as shows in Atlanta and N.Y. are inundated with designers and personal shoppers. We will continue to exhibit next year at ABC, but will review our decision for 2008 if there is an obvious difference with the buyers at the show."

The switch from a Sunday opening day to a Friday opening day was not a slight, as was suggested in online comments, to independent retailers, rather a circumstance of having the show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"Anyone who plans trade shows tries to avoid Friday and Saturday openings like the plague," said Jeff Seymour, ABC board member and independent sales rep for Graco and Munire. "Unless you want to move the show to a new city, there weren't a lot of options. Those were the dates made available by the LVCC. Plus we have to be respectful of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which starts on Sept. 12."

Seymour points out that though the show itself is four days, there typically are at least four days prior to and two days following the show reserved for set up and tear down.

"We've tried to have the show as specialty only for a long time," said John Alexander, board member and head of Baby Furniture Plus Association. "Things are changing and the demand is there. It sill is our show and has a lot of input for and from the specialty stores. No show can make it without independents; they have the grassroots effects for making new products a success. We have to grow with the flow and do what's best for the industry."

Mike Schaffer

Joni McConnell

Risa Popkin

Jacque Sternquist