Innovative Bridal Show Tour Announces 2010 Schedule

SHOWCASE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS CUTTING EDGE WEDDING TRENDS


FAIRFAX, VA – December 21, 2009 – Showcase Productions, one of the largest and most influential bridal show producers in the nation, begins its winter/spring season on January 10, 2010 at the Greater Richmond (VA) Convention Center, followed by five additional events between January and April in the Washington DC, Baltimore and Houston regions. Showcase also runs a second round of events in these markets between August 1 and September 26 (see complete schedule below).

The executive producer, Marc McIntosh, selects only the highest quality and most reputable wedding vendors in each market to appear at the shows. The shows highlight the most innovative ideas in the wedding industry and spotlight the trends for the coming wedding season. More than 1,500 wedding professionals participate each year, and the shows have a combined attendance of more than 25,000.

“Nearly one-quarter of all engagements occur over the December holidays, and another 12 percent occur on Valentine’s Day,” says McIntosh. “The first weeks of the year are a crucial time in the wedding industry, as this is when many brides are researching their options and making purchase decisions.”

By combining spectacular runway fashion shows, exhibits from trusted wedding professionals, seminars and multi-media presentations, the shows provide engaged couples with the unique opportunity to discover new ideas and make face-to-face contact with a multitude of wedding vendors without the hassle of driving from place to place.

“Our goal has always been to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to weddings and celebrations,” says McIntosh. “We take a fresh approach to every aspect of wedding planning based on the needs of today’s couples by including new product and service categories as well as features that challenge a more traditional approach.”

Many of the events include presentations by celebrities, speakers and influential authors. At the Washington Bridal Showcase on January 31, 2010 in Chantilly, Virginia, Connecticut-based author and national green wedding expert Kate L. Harrison (“The Green Bride Guide”, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and the founder and CEO of http://www.GreenBrideGuide.com) will co-produce a “Green Wedding Pavilion” which will highlight environmentally friendly wedding professionals.

“More and more couples want to extend their eco-conscious values to their wedding,” says McIntosh. “We want to educate the industry about how to facilitate greener weddings and provide options to the increasing number of bride and grooms who want their wedding to be eco-friendly.”

The Green Bride Guide connects couples with green wedding service providers in their area, such as restaurants that serve local, organic food and limousine companies that use hybrid vehicles. The directory includes vendors throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“When my husband Barry and I began thinking about and planning our own green wedding, we were surprised by how little information was available to assist us. ‘The Green Bride Guide’ book was the first step in compiling the results from the hundreds of hours I had spent researching green wedding ideas,” said Harrison. “When I launched the website earlier this year, I was thrilled with the user feedback and response as it quickly became the #1 green wedding website. The Green Bride Guide directory is the next step in the evolution of this idea, and helps couples support local green businesses.”

Other authors and experts featured in recent events include Houston-based author and national wedding etiquette and stationery expert Marjorie Maxfield (“The Write Stuff: A Modern Guide To Personal Stationery & Weddings”, MMM Signature Press), New York marketing executive Diane Meier, whose book “The New American Wedding” looks at where American weddings are going and how cultural change has dramatically changed the traditional wedding template, and Dr. Ellen Gamberg, author of “Occasional Therapy & The Wedding” which addresses how couples can get through the wedding experience emotionally given the pressures families can bring. Maxfield will again appear at the Houston Wedding Showcase on February 27.

McIntosh also participates in wedding industry economic impact and trend studies, and frequently presents to industry groups about trends and the impact of the current recession. He is available to speak to the media to address these trends and provide outlines of the most current research with regard to spending patterns and the role of the Internet in revolutionizing wedding planning.

The shows are sponsored in part by WeddingWire.com, a leading wedding planning website. “These were the first shows in which we participated when we launched Wedding Wire, and they are the most important ones we do each year” said Sonny Ganguly, SVP of Wedding Wire, headquartered in Bethesda, MD. “Much of our initial field research and focus group work was done at the Washington Bridal Showcase. Working together, we’ve been able to raise the bar in how wedding planning is done both locally and nationally.”

As the nation’s leading wedding technology company, WeddingWire was developed to offer engaged couples the opportunity to stay organized and in control of their wedding planning. “Our partnership with WeddingWire is one of the innovations that sets our shows apart from the rest of the industry,” says McIntosh. “By combining the wealth of resources available on WeddingWire with the personal contact provided by our shows, we provide the bride with everything she needs to plan an extraordinary wedding.”

For further information about all the events and associations, visit:

http://www.BridalShowcase.com
http://www.RichmondBridalShowcase.com
http://www.BaltimoreBridalShow.com
http://www.HoustonWeddingShowcase.com


2010 SHOW SCHEDULE

Winter/Spring Schedule:

January 10, 2010 – Richmond Bridal Showcase, Greater Richmond Convention Center, Richmond, VA

January 17, 2010 – Washington Bridal Showcase, Martin’s Crosswinds, Greenbelt, MD

January 24, 2010 – Washington Bridal Showcase, Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, Bethesda, MD

January 31, 2010 – Washington Bridal Showcase, Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, VA

February 6-7, 2010 – Baltimore Bridal Show, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD

February 27, 2010 – Houston Wedding Showcase, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX

April 18, 2010 – Washington Bridal Showcase, Patriot Center @ George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Summer/Fall Schedule:

August 1, 2010 – Baltimore Bridal Show, Baltimore Marriott, Baltimore, MD

August 8, 2010 – Richmond Bridal Showcase, Greater Richmond Convention Center, Richmond, VA

August 28, 2010 – Houston Wedding Showcase, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX

September 12, 2010 – Washington Bridal Showcase, Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, VA

September 19, 2010 – Washington Bridal Showcase, Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, Bethesda, MD

September 26, 2010 – Washington Bridal Showcase, Martin’s Crosswinds, Greenbelt, MD


About Marc McIntosh, CEO of Showcase Productions

Marc McIntosh is president of Showcase Productions, producer of some of the country’s largest bridal shows, including shows in Baltimore, Maryland, Richmond, Virginia, Houston, Texas and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Marc is a graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and has resided in the Washington area for 30 years. Marc is a charter member and the former Director of Bridal Show Producers International, the trade association for the bridal show industry. Marc has received the prestigious B.S.P.I Director’s Cup, the most coveted award in the bridal show industry.

Marc is also a member of the National Association of Catering Executives, the Association of Wedding Professionals, the National Association of Consumer Shows and the Professional Show Managers Association.

In addition to producing bridal shows, Marc is also a professional speaker, specializing in sales training for bridal show exhibitors. Marc has shared the keys of marketing to brides thousands of wedding professionals at training seminars conducted throughout the U.S. and Canada.

About WeddingWire, Inc.

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, was designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding venues to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools at http://www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit http://www.weddingwire.com.

Contact Information

Marc McIntosh

C.E.O.

Showcase Productions Inc.

Contact via E-mail