After successful events in Baltimore, MD; Ft. Wayne, IN; Las Vegas, NV and elsewhere, Diamond “takes the show on the road†to the Windy City when a new version of the Diamond Retailer Summit berths at one of the industry’s most anticipated events: C2E2, a.k.a. the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.
“After a great show in Las Vegas in 2008 and in Baltimore 2009, we recognize the need to bring the Summit and its retailer programming to other parts of the country,†said Diamond’s VP-Marketing, Roger Fletcher. “This allows us to see more of our retailer accounts and interact with them on a professional level. And we can’t think of a better venue than Reed Exhibition’s new C2E2 show in Chicago.â€
While many details are still being developed, Diamond Summit2: Focus On Retailing will kick off with an Opening Night Reception on Wednesday, April 14, with a full day of Better Retailing Workshops and Presentations planned for Thursday, April 15. Marking a different direction for the 2010 Retailer Summit, retailers can expect targeted, supplier focus groups throughout the day and keynote speeches from industry leaders at each meal time event.
Retailers will also enjoy complimentary admission to the Professional Only Preview of the C2E2 Show on Friday, April 16 from 10am to 1pm and will receive a valuable “coupon book†good for limited edition items, raffles, and sales—all redeemable by visiting select suppliers on the show floor.
C2E2, which will run from April 16 – 18 at McCormick Place Convention Center on the shore of Lake Michigan, will be structured in the spirit of New York Comic Con (NYCC), the fastest growing pop culture event in the U.S. NYCC is also organized by Reed Exhibitions.
“New York Comic Con has always provided a quality business to business environment in addition to entertainment,†notes Lance Fensterman, Vice President of Reed’s Pop Culture Group. “This has been a major objective for us and it is what separates us from other comic conventions. We are more than simply a major fan and media event and our mission has always been to grow the business to business side of our con by providing substantive value. The affiliation that we are now establishing with the Diamond Retailer Summit at C2E2 will provide even more value to our customers and it is a terrific show of support on the part of Diamond.â€
ADDITIONAL TRADE EVENTS
“In addition to our commitment to a Chicago Summit, Diamond plans to keep a busy trade show schedule at other events to meet retailers,†added Fletcher. “It’s our goal to interact with all of our retailers who attend both trade and comic convention events.â€
- ComicsPRO Annual Meeting (March 25-27, 2010)—An annual sponsor, Diamond will be on hand to meet retailers and present to the retailer members of ComicsPRO.
- Baltimore Comic-Con (August 28-29, 2010)—Diamond will host a Retailer Breakfast and will be on the show floor with its PREVIEWSworld booth.
- San Diego Comic-Con (July 22-25, 2010)—Diamond will be set up with its PREVIEWSworld booth as well as host a trade only retailer event during the show.
- Alliance Open House (October 8-9, 2010)—Diamond’s sister company, Alliance Game Distributors, will hold its Traditional Open House event for game shop specialty retailers at the Grand Wayne Center in Ft Wayne, IN.
- New York Comic-Con (October 8 – 10, 2010)—Diamond’s annual Retailer Breakfast will kick off the show before the opening of the professional hours. Diamond will also be exhibiting with its PREVIEWSworld booth during the show.
