Few Booths Left for 2013 Made in Montana Marketplace

After a strong surge of early-bird applications, only a few booths remain for producers thinking of exhibiting at the 2013 Made in Montana Marketplace in Great Falls.

The Marketplace, slated for March 22-23, 2013, is an important venue both for companies making Made in Montana products and for the stores who sell them. "With the strong interest in booths this year, anyone thinking about applying for the show should do it now; plus, booth prices go up another $25 after Valentine’s Day," says Paul Lloyd-Davies, Marketplace Coordinator.

"We’re seeing many perennial exhibitors returning for another year, as well as a few who will be making their first appearance at the Marketplace in March," said Lloyd-Davies.

Meg O’Leary, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce, isn’t surprised by this. "The Marketplace is a high priority trade show for many Montana producers. We see a good mix of exhibitors because the exposure is so valuable. It’s a venue that is completely and authentically Montana which is a proven marketing tool and it’s very accessible to local producers," said O’Leary.

Information about the exhibitors and their products is available online at the Marketplace website and via its Facebook page. This serves as a resource for wholesale buyers planning to attend the trade show. Matching sellers with buyers is the whole point of the Marketplace, according to Lloyd-Davies. "They like that they can see who is going to be at the show and what products are available."

On-line registration for both exhibitors and wholesale buyers is available on the Made in Montana Marketplace website at http://www.MadeInMontanaMarketplace.com. Anyone who needs a hard-copy registration form may contact the Marketplace office at (406)-455-8510.

The show is presented by the City of Great Falls and the Montana Department of Commerce and will be held at the Mansfield Convention Center at the Great Falls Civic Center.

The Montana Department of Commerce and the Montana Department of Agriculture started the original Made in Montana Food & Gift Show in 1998. 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. The Department of Agriculture and Montana Arts Council are also contributing partners. Other sponsors of the 2013 Marketplace include PPL Montana, Slingshot Creative Group, Great Falls Tribune, Big Sky Commerce, Vision Net, La Quinta Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Great Falls, First Interstate Bank, AlphaGraphics Bozeman, and Pepsi.

For more information about the 2013 Made in Montana Marketplace, call (406) 455-8510 or follow it on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/MadeinMontanaMarketplace.