Two leading event producers are expanding their reach in the consumer show marketplace with a popular show acquisition and a launch.

Marketplace Events Scoops Up Cincinnati Holiday Market 

Cleveland-based Marketplace Events, known as the largest producer of B2C shows in the U.S. and Canada, has acquired the Cincinnati Holiday Market from Hart Productions of Cincinnati, Ohio. As the first of the new year for Marketplace Events, the acquisition marks the 13^th since the company was purchased by Sentinel Capital Partners in early 2016.  

Held annually at the Duke Energy Convention Center, the 19-year-old Holiday Market features approximately 350 local and regional vendors offering a variety of curated, unique and handcrafted holiday-related goods, gifts, food and home décor items, as well as thousands of shoppers to Downtown Cincinnati each year.

“We know this show has become a beloved annual tradition for many, and I am confident that its future is in very capable hands,” said Hart Productions CEO Vicki Hart, who helped launch, manage and grow the show.

She continued, “The deep industry experience of the Marketplace Events’ team, especially in the areas of marketing and operations, will ensure the show continues to grow and thrive.”

With this sale of its final consumer show, Hart Productions will continue operating as a trade and large-scale event consulting firm leaning on 65 years of industry expertise.

The holiday show acquisition comes less than three years after Marketplace Events purchased the Cincinnati Home & Garden Show from Hart Productions. Since acquiring this home show in May of 2017, the company has grown its attendance by 21 percent, according to Marketplace Events officials.

Toni Garbo, manager of the Cincinnati Home & Garden Show, which runs February 22-March 1, will also oversee the production of the Cincinnati Holiday Market, set for November 13-15 this year. 

“The Cincinnati Holiday Market is a terrific addition to our growing portfolio of holiday shows and a wonderful way for [Marketplace Events] to bring in the new year,” said Tom Baugh, CEO of Marketplace Events.  “Vicki Hart should be lauded for her success in growing one of the best holiday events in the Midwest – in just a few years the show has become a powerhouse.”

He continued, “Just as our Cincinnati team has done with the home and garden show, we look forward to building on Vicki’s success and continuing to grow the holiday show to benefit exhibitors and attendees for years to come.”

Marketplace Events now produces 76 shows in 34 markets including 51 consumer home shows in the U.S., 16 in Canada, six holiday shows, two bridal shows and one spring boutique. Combined, the 76 events attract 22,000 exhibitors, 1.9 million attendees and another 3 million unique web visitors annually.

Reed Exhibitions to Launch Endurance Sports Festival 

The endurance sports community will soon be getting its own consumer show. Reed Exhibitions is gearing up to launch EnduranceCon, a two-day endurance sports festival set to debut June 27-28 at Long Beach Convention Center in California. The event is expected to attract approximately 150 exhibitors and 8,5000 attendees, and will be presented in collaboration with Spartan, known as the world’s largest obstacle course race and endurance brand.

Designed to celebrate the passion and lifestyle of athletes and enthusiasts at all levels of running, cycling, triathlon, obstacle course racing and other sports, EnduranceCon will feature:

• New, exclusive gear from leading brands, including footwear, apparel, equipment, tech and nutrition
• Motivational and educational talks by celebrity endurance athletes on topics ranging from injury prevention to mental endurance
• Interactive experiences such as sample races, skills clinics and contests
• Socialization and celebration with fellow enthusiasts over food, drinks, film, art and music

 EnduranceCon’s current lineup of industry sponsors and supporters — who will help promote and participate in the event via competitions, talks, podcasts, on-site activations and a race directors summit — include Road Runner Sports (official retailer),  OOFOS, Conqur Endurance Group (Los Angeles Marathon), Babbitville Radio, USA Cycling, USA Triathlon and Spartan.

At the show, Spartan will host a short obstacle course race for first-timers and its ever-growing community of passionate competitors, while Spartan Founder and CEO Joe De Sena will lead a keynote on the final day of the event.

“Spartan’s global community knows the true meaning of endurance and what it’s like to push beyond what they ever thought possible, which is why working with Reed on EnduranceCon, a unique expo designed to celebrate this superior human quality, is a natural fit,” De Sena said. 

He added, “We’re thrilled to collaborate and build the event into a catalyst for transformation and one of the world’s leading destinations for anyone interested in pushing their boundaries.”

EnduranceCon is the creation of Reed’s 3-year-old LaunchPad division, which works to identify underserved market segments and launch events to meet audience demand while driving Reed business growth.

To learn more, go here. 

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