ELMWOOD PARK, N.J., July 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) announces attendance statistics for its 2012 Summer Conference & Trade Show held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., July 16 – 19, 2012. The Summer Show hosted 172 exhibiting companies filling 61,028 net square feet of exhibit space. The Show attracted 3,111 attendees representing over 600 buying companies from 43 states and 34 countries. Fifteen percent of Show attendees were internationally based with the greatest number coming from Canada, Brazil, Japan, Mexico and Norway.
Despite the declining numbers in attendance, the smaller Show delivered substantial foot traffic to exhibitors' booths and valuable product recognition was received through product launches and the Show awards. Show floor activities such as the daily "The Next Iron Crafter Challenge" a fast paced, high-energy crafting competition which challenged audience members to create a mixed media project in under 10 minutes using a mystery product, kept both exhibitors and attendees engaged and created buzz and excitement on the Show floor.
"CHA Summer 2012 was better than expected" says Sonia Viteri, Assistant Product Manager of Tombow, USA. "With so many opportunities for exposure such as the workshops and the product showcases, and the great number of people visiting our booth, it was definitely worth our time and investment. We look forward participating in the upcoming CHA 2013 Winter Show."
During the Show, CHA member companies were recognized for their outstanding Trade Show achievements. The following awards were presented:
INNOVATIONS SHOWCASE
The Innovations Showcase brings together the newest ideas and most innovative products from exhibiting companies.
• WINNER – Majestic Elements by Spellbinders
• HONORABLE MENTION – All Natural Cake Kit for Dogs by K9Cakery
PRESS KIT AWARDS
Press kits are judged based on design, content and creativity.
• GOLDEN PRESS KIT WINNER – Sizzix/Ellison
• GOLDEN PRESS KIT HONORABLE MENTION – Avatrex/Scrapbooking Attitude
• DESIGNER PRESS KIT WINNER – Sara-n-Dipitous Designs by Sara Hodsdon
EXHIBITING WITH EXCELLENCE
The CHA Exhibiting with Excellence Award is presented to exhibitors as the gold-standard of exhibiting. Winners were selected by CHA's Trade Show Consultants, Competitive Edge - an exhibitor education, training and consulting firm. Booths are judged based on: Exhibit Design, Product Merchandising/Demonstrations and Exhibit Staff.
• NEW EXHIBITOR BOOTH AWARD WINNER – Little Darlings Rubber Stamp
• ISLAND/PENINSULA BOOTH AWARD WINNER – Sizzix/Ellison
• LINEAR BOOTH EXHIBITOR AWARD WINNER – Westcott/Acme United
"Congratulations to all of our award recipients, they each represent creativity and innovation and are valuable assets to the industry" said Andrej Suskavcevic, President and CEO, CHA.
For more information on CHA, the recent 2012 Summer Show or the upcoming CHA 2013 Winter Show being held from January 12-15, 2013 in Anaheim, California please visit www.craftandhobby.org.
About the Craft & Hobby Association
The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is an international not-for-profit trade association consisting of thousands of member companies engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution and retail sales of craft products worldwide. For more about CHA, the value of membership, or its award-winning Conferences & Trade Shows, please visit www.craftandhobby.org. Follow us on Twitter @craftandhobby, "Like" us on Facebook www.facebook.com/CraftandHobbyp://" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/CraftandHobby or follow our blog http://craftandhobby.wordpress.com/.