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Urban Expositions Changes Dates Again for Smoky Mountain Gift Show

In a continued effort to effectively respond to industry feedback from buyers and exhibitors, Urban Expositions has once again changed the dates for the 2012 edition of the Smoky Mountain Gift Show. The show will now run from Nov. 7-10 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The announcement follows news of a date change by Sevierville's International Gift Exposition of the Smokies (IGES).

"As the new owners of the Smoky Mountain Gift Show, it was our intent to work with Sevierville's IGES owners to reunite the Tennessee marketplace," said Doug Miller, president, Urban Expositions. "When we acquired the show in 2011, we were well aware of the rift that existed between the Gatlinburg and Sevierville events. Our plan was to try to put some closure to that chapter and open the lines of communication between our two organizations. For the first time in the history of both shows, our cooperative efforts included door-to-door shuttle service and the honoring of each other's badges - programs that were very well received by the industry."

Urban announced a first date change to coincide with the published IGES 2012 opening date immediately following the conclusion of the 2011 edition. The decision was in direct response to countless requests from buyers and exhibitors asking that the trade show company find a way to open the two shows concurrently.

Previously, the Gatlinburg show opened a day after the Sevierville show. IGES management company M & M Gift Shows has since shifted the Sevierville opening by two additional days, a move Urban Expositions cannot mirror due to prior space/event commitments at the Smoky Mountain Gift Show site, the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Urban has been able to move the show up one day, bringing the opening gap back down to one instead of two days between the two shows.

"Looking forward, we will keep working towards a unified opening date and continue the other cooperative efforts we initiated with M & M Gift Shows for the 2011 editions," Miller added. "We are extremely excited about the future growth of the Smoky Mountain Gift Show and the entire Tennessee marketplace. We want to make sure we're offering the most cost-effective, convenient and comprehensive resource for buyers and exhibitors."

For more information, visit www.smokymtngiftshow.com.

Originally posted Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012