2010 Made in Montana Marketplace SOLD OUT!

Hundreds of Montana-Made Products Available to Buyers!

More than 100 producers of Made in Montana items will exhibit and sell everything from gourmet chocolates and wines to handcrafted jewelry and furniture at the March 26-27 Made in Montana Marketplace trade show at the Mansfield Convention Center in the Great Falls Civic Center.

Great Falls Mayor Michael Winters proclaimed March 21-27 Made in Montana Week, pointing out the importance of the products that have a minimum of 50 percent value added as they are produced in Montana. The two-day Marketplace attracts about 2,800 people, including more than 100 Montana producers and more than 240 wholesale buyers from throughout the region.

“Another sold out show is great news. To anyone who has attended the Marketplace – it’s no surprise. Year after year it gets better and better,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “I congratulate Montana producers on their hard work and encourage wholesale buyers and the public to come down and get a taste of something authentic and distinctly Montana.”

A new feature of the 2010 Marketplace will be live reporting on mtbusiness.com from the convention center, updates and photos via Twitter throughout the two days. Follow @montanabusiness on Twitter and use the #MMM10 hash tag to follow the conversation.

The annual trade show, produced by the City of Great Falls, connects wholesale buyers looking for Montana products with the people who produce them. The Marketplace is strategically timed to connect exhibitors with wholesale buyers looking to purchase for the spring and summer season.

“Whether you’re looking for organic body products; huckleberry, chokecherry and honey products; pottery; felted handbags; whole-grain foods; or any of many other products with the Montana mystique, the Marketplace is the place to find them,” said Paul Lloyd-Davies, marketplace coordinator.

Friday, March 26 is Wholesale Buyers’ Day, and is only open to qualified buyers, the media and special guests. A drawing will be held for a gift certificate worth $500 commercial production or air time value from KRTV of Great Falls.

Saturday, March 27, is Public Day, and is open to the public – $3 for anyone 12 and older; free for anyone 11 and younger. A drawing will be held for a gift basket of items donated by exhibitors.

Anthony Preite, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce, emphasized the economic importance of supporting local businesses. “Visiting the Made in Montana Marketplace is like taking a trip to every Main Street in Montana. The show supports Montana businesses, the communities they’re from and Montana producers from across the state.”

“Close to 40 percent of the exhibitors are promoting their products at the 2010 Marketplace for the first time,” said Lloyd-Davies, “And many returning exhibitors are featuring new product lines this year.”

All 111 booths for exhibitor space in the convention center are sold out. Close to 240 people from more than 120 companies throughout the region are registered as wholesale buyers to attend the first day of the two-day show.

The Montana Department of Commerce and the Montana Department of Agriculture started the original Made in Montana Food & Gift Show in 1998; however, funding for the show was cut in 2004. The Schweitzer Administration restored funding to help sponsor the rebirth of the show in 2005. In 2006, the City of Great Falls assumed production of the show and renamed it the Made in Montana Marketplace. The Department of Commerce remains a primary partner and sponsor of the Marketplace today. The Department of Agriculture and Montana Arts Council are contributing partners. Private business sponsors include All American Pharmaceutical, Big Sky Commerce, Bresnan Communications, ColorWorld Printers, Creative Wave Design, Fatmoose Media, Great Falls Tribune, Gusto Beverage, KRTV, LaQuinta Inn and Suites, People’s Park and Recreation Foundation, PPL Montana, and Quality Inn.

For more information on the Made in Montana Marketplace, visit http://www.greatfallsmt.net/events/madeinmontana, where you also can see a list of exhibitors, along with brief descriptions of their product lines.