Material World Producer Acquires West Coast Gift Shows
Atlanta-based Urban Expositions has announced the acquisition of the San Francisco International Gift Fair and the Seattle Gift Show from DMG World Media. The change in ownership will follow the August 2009 editions of the semiannual shows, after which Urban Expositions will assume sales, marketing and operating responsibilities for SFIGF’s February show and the SGS’s January show in 2010.
“We have been looking for growth opportunities in the Western U.S. for some time now and felt that the San Francisco and Seattle shows offered the perfect complement to our show roster,” said Doug Miller, president of Urban Expositions, in a statement. “These shows now join our growing Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show and new L.A. editions of the Material World & Technology Solutions textile shows to expand and strengthen our position out West. We look forward to building upon the efforts of DMG World Media and GLM—the shows’ current producer—to bring new business growth and development opportunities to the region’s gift community.”
DMG, which produces a variety of trade shows, including the action-sports show Surf Expo in Orlando, Fla., announced plans to sell the two shows in May. Financial details of the sale were not made public. —Erin Barajas
