TRADE SHOWS

Pooltradeshow to Produce New York Shows

After a 16-year run as a one-city show, Pooltradeshow announced that it will produce a biannual New York show in addition to its Las Vegas shows.

Pool, owned by UBM, the trade-show company that also runs the sprawling Las Vegas shows MAGIC and Project, announced that Pool will produce trade shows May 7–9 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Another show is scheduled for Sept. 17–19, said Jason Peskin, who was recently named Pool’s show director.

“For years, brands have been asking us to do a New York show. The reason is because a lot of startup East Coast brands really want to be at Pool but sometimes don’t have the capital to travel to Vegas. Or they just don’t want to take the risk on a show outside their area,” Peskin said.

“In New York, there has been no show quite like ours with regards to the combination of more-affordable turnkey booth packages, our coaching style of customer service and proximity to larger shows like Accessorie Circuit and Coterie.” He forecast that 50 vendors would exhibit at the May show and 75 would exhibit at the September show.

Ronda Walker started Pool in 2001 in a Las Vegas hotel. The event was focused on emerging brands and was a satellite show to MAGIC. Pool’s independent spirit captured attention of retailers and other trade-show producers. In August 2005, it was acquired by then MAGIC owner Advanstar Communications Inc. for $3 million.