New York Off-Price Show Canceled, eBay Deal With Others Is Expanded
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 6/14/2004
For the Off-Price Specialist Show, May was a bad-news/good-news kind of month. While one show was canceled, organizers secured a valuable sponsorship deal for others.
The United Kingdom-based Tarsus Group canceled its 2004 New York Off-Price Specialist-Apparel Show, which was to be held Oct. 17–19 in New York. But Tarsus also expanded its deal with eBay to include sponsorship of two more Off-Price shows, in addition to the two already sponsored by the online auction company.
Bill Jage, CEO of The Off-Price Specialist Center, a division of Tarsus and producer of the Off-Price Specialist Shows and Off-Price Apparel magazine, said he recognizes New York's prominence as a fashion capital, and that many buyers and exhibitors have offices there. "But as tradeshow operators, we recognize the difficulty some buyers have in adjusting their corporate travel schedules to come to New York at specific times of the year, the high costs in the city, and the inconvenience of getting around there," he said.
Tarsus has three more Off-Price shows each year in Las Vegas. Jage said that he'd like to see a minimum of four shows a year, but there's a limit to how many shows buyers and exhibitors can attend. He will meet with exhibitors to decide if and when another show will be added, but it is unlikely the New York show, which launched in 1998, will be revived. He said that many exhibitors want a show in Florida — either in Miami to capture the Caribbean market, or in Orlando because of its proximity to Atlanta.
In other news, Tarsus extended its Off-Price deal with eBay. eBay produced workshops and seminars at the February and August Off-Price Specialist Shows for the apparel, home goods and accessories industries, and promoted the show online. Cordelia Hime, a public relations manager for Tarsus, said the new deal extends the current arrangement to include the May Off-Price Apparel and Off-Price Home Goods shows. The home goods show debuted May 11–13 and was held concurrently with the apparel event.
Sravanthi Agrawal, an eBay spokesperson, said eBay targets key tradeshows in several industries where it feels synergy exists, and has made similar arrangements with other shows such as the SEMA Show, the NADA Convention & Exposition, and MAGIC Marketplace.
Jeannie Reeth, senior home and garden category manager for eBay, said many Off-Price attendees resell their show purchases on eBay.
