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SPECIAL EVENTS
Variety Distributors hosts two national Trade Shows and one regional Show each year. The regional Early Buy Show is usually held mid January in the Minneapolis, MN area. The Annual National Show is held in mid-April, early May and The Annual National Fall Show is held in mid-September.
The Early Buy Show kicks off the year with a showroom featuring the import items for the Fall and Christmas Holidays of that same year, 8-10 months in advance. While many of these same items may also be available at The Annual National Show, purchasing early affords our stores the best price on these items. The Showroom features over 1800 items of Seasonal and everyday Décor and Gifts, Floral and Toys. Our stores receive a full color catalog in advance of the Show and like all our Show’s, orders receive seasonal dating.
The Annual National Show has traditionally been our largest Show, bringing together stores and vendors from throughout the United States. The focus of this Show is the Fall and Christmas Holiday Season. In advance of the Show, our stores receive Christmas Toy, Decoration, Gift and Candy catalogs and Halloween and Halloween Candy catalogs. All of the items featured in these catalogs are on display in our 4000 square foot Seasonal Showroom, laid out in exact sequential order as each catalog.
In addition to shopping our Showroom, our stores can place drop ship and warehouse pool orders with the 250+ Exhibitors, representing 600 to 900 companies, also in attendance and all offering their own Show Specials and deals. Additional buying opportunities are offered in the form of Buyers Specials, Closeouts, Pallet Deals, Displays, Shippers and over 200 feet of Planograms. Stores purchasing Displays, Shippers and Planograms also receive “Spiff Money”, cold, hard cash paid right at the Show. It isn’t unusual for our stores to pay for their trips with their Spiff Money earnings.
While usually smaller in size, The Annual National Fall Show is no less significant, focusing on the following year Valentine, Easter, Spring & Summer and Lawn & Garden seasons. Like its larger cousin, this Show too includes a Showroom displaying the items featured in the Seasonal catalogs stores receive in advance, as well as the vendors and all the rest, including the Spiff Money!
If you are considering becoming a Member of Variety Distributors, our Show’s offer a unique opportunity to see all the programs available to you; you might consider attending as a guest. In addition to all the aforementioned, stores can peruse our warehouse catalogs of 22,000+ everyday items; review displays of new items recently added to the warehouse; talk to our sales and merchandising staff about our monthly advertising/ circular program or our trademark “Hometown Variety” store signage. We encourage you to visit with our Senior Staff, our Buyers, our vendors and our store Members to discover for yourself the many benefits of Variety Distributors Membership.
We cordially invite you to attend.
2010 VDI Annual National Fall Show
Sept 14th – 16th
Harrah’s Casino & Hotel
Council Bluffs, IA.