Are you an artisan producer or gift-shop owner?
Buyer Days, ANCA’s annual gift-product trade show which has been running for 26 years, features handmade products and specialty foods from regional artisans and producers. During the two-day event, gift shop attendees order products from approximately 60 artisan exhibitors.
Product lines typically are of a style or theme most suited for the mountain, lake and river based setting of Northern New York and New England. Specialty foods now make up 25 percent of the show’s exhibitors. This is a great opportunity to buy directly from the regional producers, meet the makers and learn their stories.
Save the Date: Buyer Days 2013
The 27th annual Adirondack North Country Association’s Buyer Days is taking place March 27-28, 2013 at the Saratoga Springs City Center.
Click here for a look at the 2012 vendors
Buyer Days show coordinator Melissa Hart was interviewed by Todd Moe of North Country Public Radio. The segment gives a preview for the show and the audio can be found here:
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/19436/20120306/preview-retailers-browse-at-buyers-days-in-saratoga-springs
Contact
Melissa Hart, 2012 Buyer Days Coordinator: mhart@adirondack.org, 518-891-6200
Other resources
Upstate New York Gift Expo takes place in February at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y. In a special partnership, show organizers are offering a discount to exhibitors who have shown at Buyer Days. Contact Rob Igoe for details: 315-735-4877, rbigoe@verizon.net. http://www.upstatenygiftexpo.com
GiftBizBuzz.com: An online trade magazine just for retailers. Trade show listings, product info and more.
More on buying local
The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, or BALLE: North America’s fastest growing network of socially responsible businesses, comprised of over 80 community networks in 30 U.S. states and Canadian provinces representing over 22,000 independent business members across the U.S. and Canada. Site contains lots of great information about the benefits of buying local.
“Think Local First” campaigns: Ready to take buying local to the next level? This link to BALLE’s “Think Local First” page points to resources on how to start a campaign to educate consumers about the economic and social advantages that independent and local businesses bring to a community.
SyracuseFirst: A great example of a community organization in BALLE’s membership base, SyracuseFirst is a not for profit network of locally owned, independent businesses and organizations dedicated to building a sustainable community by encouraging citizens to “Think Local First.”