Juvenile industry moves to one annual show
By Lisa Casinger -- Kids Today, 3/1/2007
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association and All Baby & Child, managers of the ABC Kids Expo, have reached an agreement to have a single juvenile industry show beginning in the fall of 2008. The show will be exclusively managed by ABC.
This year's 2007 International JPMA show will be held April 23–25 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, and JPMA expects a sell-out show.
The 2007 ABC Kids Expo will be held Sept. 7–10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This marks the first show during which attendance is open to all buyers on Sept. 9 and 10. The show will cover a record 700,000 square feet of exhibit space with projected attendance expected to exceed 12,000. Currently, nearly 800 exhibitors have rented booth space.
The agreement to move to one industry show was in response to member input.
"After listening very intently to the desires of the membership and the industry at large, it was clear that the overwhelming majority of JPMA members were advocating for one unified domestic industry trade show," said Mike Dwyer, executive director of JPMA.
"The board voted unanimously at the recent board meeting based on this member feedback. The board election process puts the authority to make this decision in the hands of the volunteer leaders as elected by the membership as stewards of the association."
The change also enables JPMA to refocus its resources — both financial and otherwise — on achieving its goals of advancing the interests, growth and well-being of the juvenile products industry through advocacy, public relations and information-sharing and business development opportunities.
"For years, our association has been almost singularly identified with the annual trade show when in fact the most important contributions we have made have been in the area of product safety and regulation," said Andy Keimach, JPMA chairman. "We look forward to reemphasizing our focus on the future growth of our association and all JPMA has to offer our members, consumers and the industry as a whole."
The cooperative agreement provides 2007 ABC Kids Expo exhibitors, who are or become JPMA members, with discounts off regular price booth space, product placement in the New Product Showcase and in Show Directory advertising.
In return, JPMA will promote the ABC Kids Expo and encourage industry-wide attendance both domestically and internationally. JPMA also will be able to host educational seminars during the ABC show and continue its New Product Showcase.
"We look forward to working with JPMA in helping them increase their membership base to better enable them to provide important current and planned benefits to their members, as well as the potential to incorporate some of JPMA's valued trade show programs into our show agenda," said Larry Schur, All Baby & Child president and executive director.
JPMA will continue to be able to put forth a nominee for the ABC board of directors, subject to the approval of the board. Kelly Mariotti, president of Green Frog Art, currently is the JPMA representative on the board. Mariotti also serves as the vice chairman of the JPMA board of directors.
Ken Goore, newly appointed chairman of All Baby & Child, said, "We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, which will enable us to move forward with a powerful and unified order-writing trade show.
"With a board of directors equally represented by retailers and manufacturers, as well as a show management with years of dedicated experience and expertise in this industry, we are confident we will continue to produce a trade show that will be highly productive for all segments of our industry," he said.
JPMA's 2006–2007 board of directors includes chairman, Andy Keimach, Munchkin; vice chairman, Kelly Mariotti, Green Frog Art; treasurer, Tony DeSimore, Fisher-Price; immediate past chairman, Bill Suvak, Child Craft; and the directors are Brenda Berg, Mary Jean Bush, Michael Halak, Jeff Hutsell, Greg Mansker, Dan Orsini, Greg Schumann, and Tom Sparno.
ABC's newly elected board includes chairman, Ken Goore; vice chairman, Jeff Seymour; treasurer, Ken Kaiser; secretary, John Alexander; president/COO, Larry Schur; and directors Michael Schaffer, Gene Francis, Mike Augustine, Renee Pepys Lowe, Roger O'Callaghan, Greg Rodgers, Mark Simon, Bengt Lager and Mariotti.
Pepys Lowe is replacing Paula Markowitz, who retired from the board.
