StoreXpo Earns Rave Reviews

Cincinnati, OH – December 18, 2003 – Receiving high marks from pleased participants, StoreXpo drew 1,358 retail professionals to its debut at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, December 5-6, 2003. Leading retailers, visual merchandisers and store planners from across the country who attended the new visual merchandising and store design show took in the latest product offerings from 40 exhibitors at the Javits, as well as 17 participating Manhattan showrooms, and heard complimentary keynote presentations by Michael Cape, vp, director of visual merchandising and store design, J.C. Penney Corporation Inc.; Christian Davies, vp, creative director, FRCH Design Worldwide; and Pamela Fields, senior vp, worldwide consumer products licensing, Playboy. StoreXpo is presented by VM+SD magazine and produced by parent company ST Media Group International Inc.

“With the successful debut of StoreXpo, a new Winter Market tradition has been firmly established in New York,” said Tedd Swormstedt, president of ST Media Group International. “After a very good first show, StoreXpo promises to be a dynamic, influential, and ever-growing annual event.”

With exhibitors already signing up, StoreXpo continues to expand for next year. In 2004, it co-locates with the In-Store Marketing Institute's The P-O-P Show/New York, December 8-9 at the Javits. The strategic co-location positions StoreXpo as part of the East Coast's most comprehensive showcase of resources for the retail industry – a one-stop shopping destination, where exhibitors can take advantage of a larger, more diversified audience. Companies interested in exhibiting at StoreXpo should contact Jennifer Robinson at 513.263.9367 or jennifer.robinson@stmediagroup.com.

Exhibitors at this year's inaugural show were impressed with the StoreXpo audience and reported positive results.

“The quality of the leads was exceptional,” said exhibitor Bill Gerber, whose title is the chief at Delectable Display, based in Carlsbad, California. “It was like making 100 high-level sales presentations in the course of two days. Once we got back to the office, sales orders from StoreXpo were already beginning to come in.”

“StoreXpo is on its way to becoming a revolutionary show for New York,” declared exhibitor Kenneth Marsak, vice president of marketing at the Big Apple Visual Group in New York. “I did not expect to find myself at a trade show meeting with top decision-makers from major retailers and technology manufacturers, which I did here at StoreXpo. We're looking forward to what 2004 will bring.”

Business at the participating showrooms, which were open December 5-7, was also brisk, according to David Terveen, president of DK Display. “StoreXpo 2003 was a huge success both for vendors and attendees,” said Terveen. “Despite all the snow, visual merchandising clients were real troopers – hats off to them!”

ST Media Group International is recognized worldwide as the leading educator, authority and voice for the visual communications markets and has kept industry professionals informed and competitive since 1906. Cincinnati-based ST Media Group International serves visual communicators with its five trade publications, branded web sites, custom book division, and events. For more information about ST Media Group International or StoreXpo, please contact Tedd Swormstedt at 513.263.9340 or visit www.stmediagroup.com.