Few Booths Left for 2012 Made in Montana Marketplace

After a strong surge of early-bird applications, only a few booths remain for producers thinking of exhibiting at the 2012 Made in Montana Marketplace.

The Marketplace, slated for March 23-24, 2012 is an important venue both for companies making Made in Montana products and for the stores who sell them. "Anyone thinking about signing up for the show should do it now," says Paul Lloyd-Davies, Marketplace Coordinator. "This year we received double the number of early exhibitor applications than in years past and we are receiving more every day."

"We’re seeing many producers who will be making their first appearance at the Marketplace in March," said Lloyd-Davies, "as well as some perennial favorites – some with new products for 2012.

Shari Hunter Brownlee, Coordinator for the Made in Montana Program, Montana Department of Commerce isn’t surprised by this. "We are registering 8-10 new members a week into the program. Most of them are looking for a place to sell their products and specifically ask about the Marketplace."

Wholesale buyer registration is up as well and that bodes well for a successful show according to Lloyd-Davies, as matching up sellers with buyers is the whole point of the Marketplace. Information about the exhibitors is available online at the Marketplace website which Lloyd-Davies believes may be partially responsible for the uptick in buyer registration. "They like that they can see who is going to be at the show and what products are available. We make sure to keep the website as up-to date as possible with the information."

Registration for both exhibitors and wholesale buyers is available on the Made in Montana Marketplace website at http://greatfallsmt.net/events/madeinmontana/ ."

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 of 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 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 also contributing partners. Other sponsors of the 2012 Marketplace include the Great Falls Tourism Business Improvement District, Fatmoose Media, and Slingshot Creative Group.

For more information about the 2012 Made in Montana Marketplace, call (406) 455-8510 or follow it on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/MadeinMontanaMarketplace.