New co-location with NY NOW and National Stationery Show proves a hit say organisers.
The move for art and design show Surtex to a new February slot has been hailed a success by the organisers.
The New York-based show switched from its usual May date to run between February 3-6, alongside the National Stationery Show and NY NOW, meaning that it could benefit from crossover attendance.
Exhibiting companies came from 15 countries including the UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, Italy and Mexico to name a few, with feedback proving positive.
“While there was some trepidation early on regarding the trade show’s move from May to February, everyone involved was very pleased with the foot traffic, quality of the companies in attendance, and most importantly the reaction to the volume and quality of artwork presented,” said Mark Fisher from MHS Licensing.
“Several manufacturers from industries like fabric and tabletop commented on how the timing was even better as it allowed them to get out in front of their development schedules.”
Julie Newman from Jewel Branding & Licensing added: “We had a great show with lots of great meetings with existing licensees and also new licensees that walked up. I felt the timing was great as many of the companies we met with were just starting to select art for the year and we spent a lot of time diving deeper into their needs for the year as opposed to trying to fill gaps in May of what they already selected but had a few holes for.”
Awanda Booth, sales manager for Surtex, said that exhibitors took more design risks this year, with the strategy paying off. “Florals, watercolor and seasonal designs all performed well,” she said.
Next year’s Surtex will run from February 2-5, 2020 at New York’s Jacob K Javits Convention Center.
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