January Is Gift Time

Buyers descend on Toronto for two shows that fill three venues

By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 2/14/2005

Toronto—Buyers of gifts and accessories have two Toronto tradeshows to visit each winter: one that's bursting at the seams and another that's working to redefine itself.

Together, the CGTA Gift Show and the Toronto Intl. Gift Fair draw about 35,000 buyers and 2,000 exhibitors to the city, which — with eight venues boasting 3.5 million square feet of exhibit space — serves as Canada's tradeshow hub.

The spring CGTA show, one of four produced by the 1,600-member Canadian Gift and Tableware Assn., frequently tops Tradeshow Week's Canadian 50 as the country's largest tradeshow. And it could be a lot larger, were it not venue-bound.

This year's Jan. 30–Feb. 3 show featured more than 1,100 exhibitors and drew 27,000 visitors. As in years past, it was squeezed into two venues near the airport: the eight-hall Intl. Centre and the seven-hall Toronto Congress Centre, each with about a half-million square feet of exhibit space.

CGTA has an enviable problem for both its spring and fall shows: a waiting list of several hundred exhibitors. "Because of the success of the show, it is very sought after," said Bob Love, who joined the association as president last summer. "It becomes an event they must attend. We do have considerable demand from existing exhibitors."

Companies exiled to the waiting list aren't entirely left in the cold, however. Many can be found displaying their wares at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre downtown, where George Little Management operates the dmg world media-owned TIGF, held Jan. 28–31.

TIGF exhibitor Patrick Symonds, president of Vancouver-based glassmaker PS Designs, has been on the CGTA waiting list for 2 1/2 years. It could be several more years before he actually lands a spot on the showfloor. And even then, without seniority, that spot could be located in a less-traveled part of the hall. In the meantime, Symonds pays CGTA's $1,000 annual membership fees and exhibits at TIGF.

Previously owned by Southex and held in mid-February at the Natl. Trade Centre — Toronto's largest venue, with 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space — the spring TIGF was the country's sixth-largest show in 1997, and with 900 exhibitors, nipping at CGTA's heels. By 2003, however, it had only half the number of exhibitors, and it had fallen to No. 29 on TSW's Canadian 50.

GLM has taken steps to revitalize TIGF since it took over management in 2001 as part of a partnership deal with dmg. It moved up show dates to coincide with the spring CGTA tradeshow, changed the show's location and began offering free seminars for retailers.

Collocations have also helped. Makers of handmade products came aboard in 2002 with GLM's agreement with Signatures Crafts Shows to collocate By Hand, Canada's Artisan Gift Show, with TIGF. Two years ago, GLM launched the 20,000 net sq. ft. Tourist, Resort & Imprinted Products Show and collocated it with TIGF. A badge-sharing agreement between the Canadian Toy Assn.'s Canadian Toy & Hobby Fair, held at the convention center during the same period, has also helped.

Now that the smaller shows have been added, TIGF is approaching its former size. This year, it drew more than 900 exhibitors and spanned 100,000 net sq. ft., according to organizers. An estimated 8,000 buyers walked the floor, many of whom had taken the hour-long shuttle ride from the CGTA show. TIGF honors CGTA attendee badges, but CGTA does not reciprocate.

Although some TIGF exhibitors pined for the CGTA show, others were happy where they were. Sandi Roy, of first-year exhibitor DZinz, said on TIGF's opening day, she "wrote orders all day." And Grant Grieves said his company, Characters Unlimited, had little trouble in drawing buyers to its display of ghoulish novelty characters.

Anita Schachter, group manager for dmg's Eastern Canadian Gift Shows, said the changes at TIGF were intended to help buyers make better use of their time. "We came to the realization that time was a precious commodity," she said.

GLM also retooled the fall TIGF, changing the show's name last year to the Toronto Gift & Accessories Market and moving it from early August, when the fall CTGA show is held, to late September. The event's 500 exhibitors — including 150 artisans participating in the collocated By Hand — are now organized into areas for decorative accessories, giftware and personal accessories, a setup that GLM said has worked for shows in other cities.

Schachter said it's difficult to change the dates for gift shows, since exhibitors each year typically hit a carefully choreographed circuit of shows in other North American cities.

That same phenomenon is partly to blame for the Toronto-based CGTA shows remaining venue-locked. Love said his association has considered adding a third Toronto show, but is doubtful that there is sufficient demand. "Plus, exhibitors may not have time for it on their schedule. Many of these exhibitors are road warriors," he said.

The Natl. Trade Centre is large enough to accommodate the country's biggest show. But the January tradeshow calendar is typically crowded, said Laura Purdy, the facility's director of sales and marketing.

And Love said association members are reluctant to move from their current venues, which boast plentiful parking and easy airport access. That leaves the CGTA with satisfied customers but limited growth prospects for its Toronto shows.

At this year's spring CGTA show, most exhibitors seemed to be kept busy writing orders.

"We always have a good show," said Ralph Somerleigh, director of Canadian sales for Ohio-based Antioch, a manufacturer of journals and a 20-year CGTA member. "For us, it's very important. This is the only show we do."

However, Dean Newman, of Quebec greeting card company Incognito, hasn't reached the euphoric stage yet. He was excited when he first landed a spot on the showfloor two years ago after several years on the waiting list. But Newman said that due to a bad booth location, the burst of business has yet to materialize.

"It was anticlimactic," he said, glumly staring around his empty booth in a quieter section of the show. "Next year, I'm asking for a better location."