2011 Made in Montana Marketplace Opens Friday – 3/25

Opening remarks for the 2011 Made in Montana Marketplace trade show will kickoff Friday, March 25, at 8:45 a.m. in the Mansfield Convention Center at the Great Falls Civic Center. U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger, Great Falls Mayor Michael Winters and Dore Schwinden, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce, will officially open the show to registered wholesale buyers at 9:00 a.m.

Presented by the City of Great Falls and the Montana Department of Commerce, the two-day trade show brings together producers of Made in Montana products with wholesale buyers from throughout the region.

With 99 booths, and hundreds of products, the show is perfectly timed to connect exhibitors showcasing their Montana-made goods with more than 400 wholesale buyers from 65 cities looking to purchase products for their spring and summer seasons.

Exhibitors from 53 different Montana communities produce goods that range from jewelry, fine handcrafts and personal care products, to wine, art, photography and souvenirs. A list of exhibitors scheduled to attend the Marketplace – along with their products – can be found at the Marketplace website: http://www.greatfallsmt.net/events/madeinmontana/

Wholesale buyers can also register at the Marketplace website free of charge. Buyers represent a wide range of resellers, including department stores, grocery stores, gift shops and state and national park stores across Montana and the region.

The first day of the show is open to registered wholesale buyers only, while Saturday is open to the general public for $3 per person 12 and older.

The Montana Department of Commerce and the Montana Department of Agriculture started the original Made in Montana Food & Gift Show in 1998. In 2004, funding for the show was cut. 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. The Department of Agriculture and Montana Arts Council are contributing partners.

Other sponsors include All American Pharmaceuticals, Big Sky Commerce, Bresnan Communication, Color World Printers, Fatmoose Media, Great Falls Tribune, LaQuinta Inn and Suites, PPL Montana, Quality Inn, Slingshot Creative Group, and The Country Register.

To learn more about the 2011 Marketplace, call (406) 455-8510 or visit the Marketplace website, http://www.greatfallsmt.net/events/madeinmontana/.

WHO:

U.S. Senator Jon Tester

Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger

Great Falls Mayor Michael Winters

Dore Schwinden, Director, Montana Department of Commerce

WHAT: Open 2011 Made in Montana Marketplace

WHEN: Friday, March 25

Opening Remarks @ 8:45 AM

Show Opens to Registered Wholesale Buyers @ 9 AM

WHERE: Mansfield Convention Center in the Great Falls Civic Center