Midwest Furniture Show set for Sept. 25-26

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 16, 2013

CHICAGO — The Midwest Furniture Club will host the 2013 Midwest Furniture Show Sept. 25-26, returning to the Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, Ill., the group announced.

The event is a regional furniture, bedding and accessories show that is run by the club, one of the largest chapters in the International Home Furnishings Representatives Assn. This year's show will be its seventh edition.

"We are excited to return to Schaumburg, where we have held the show for the last four years," said club member Geoff Weed, the show's coordinator and one of its founders.

"We listened to our attendees and exhibitors and made some adjustments this year. Primarily, we moved our exhibition dates back to a Wednesday -Thursday format, so more of our independent dealers can spend more time with our exhibitors.

"We also had a lot of great feedback on holding the show in September instead of over the summer. We didn't want to conflict with (High Point) Premarket and wanted to get as close to the fourth quarter as possible," said Weed.

The 2012 show attracted more than 600 attendees and 75 exhibitors. Major exhibitors included, Englander, Ashley, Homelegance, Liberty, John Thomas, Natuzzi Editions, World Imports, Aspen, Artisan Home and Pulaski. Local distributors such as Brady and Titanic gave the market some Midwest flavor. A majority of attendees were from Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, but some came from as far away New England and California.

"One of the reasons manufacturers and importers like about our show is the incredible value," said Weed. "For $3.50, our exhibitors get the whole package: rental space, marketing, pipe-and-drape and carpeting, a prime venue, free breakfast and lunch for exhibitors and attendees, access to many independent retailers in a major market, staging and storage assistance, and a lively social hour.

"It's a labor of love, with many IHFRA reps contributing to the Midwest furniture community. Our only requirement, other than paying rent, is that each rental space have an active member of the Midwest Furniture Club in their space," he said.

The $3.50 cost is for spaces over 500 square feet, with deposits sent in by March 30. After that date, the cost goes to $4 a square foot. Spaces smaller than 500 square feet are available for service companies, advertising and marketing firms, transportation companies and accessory vendors at a rate of $4 per foot.

Anyone interested in attending or exhibiting can register at www.midwestfurnitureshow.com or contact the club at midwestfurnitureshow@gmail.com. For updates follow the show on Twitter at MidwestFurnShow, #midwestfurnitureshow.