The Original Miami Beach Antique Show drew its biggest opening day crowd since 2008, with an increase of 20 per cent over last year’s edition.
Held at the Miami Beach Convention Center from Jan. 30 to Feb. 3, the event showcased nearly 1000 dealers from around the world, with buyers exploring collections from Renaissance to art deco eras, including fine art, American and European silver, antique jewellery, 17th- to 19th- century furniture, and porcelain.
Event organizer U.S. Antique Shows says exhibitors noted strong sales during all five days, with 77 per cent of dealers renewing their booths for the 2016 edition.
“We measure the success of each event on several factors,” says Dan Darby, Emerald Expositions vice-president and U.S. Antique Shows general manager.
“One is attendance, but others are sales of merchandise and how other features of the show performed. Overwhelmingly, our dealers reported robust sales and many attendees sought out our staff to provide compliments about the quality and varied merchandise on the floor. In addition, special events like Booth Talks, Appraisal Day, and Jewelry History Series have grown dramatically in popularity.”
Appraisal Day proved especially popular, organizers say, with more than 100 people participating. Organized in partnership with Skinner Auctioneers & Appraisers, the event allowed attendees to get their family heirlooms and antiques appraised.
U.S. Antique Shows says its Jewelry History Series, also held during The Original Miami Beach Antique Show, also saw an uptick in attendance. This year’s event brought out 60 participants, twice as many as last year.
“From the feedback we received last year, we were able to make some improvements to the series for 2015, which I feel really suited our attendees,” says marketing director Mary Bender.
“This included adding more speakers to our lineup, such as a panel discussion featuring an array of jewellery experts, as well as having closing networking reception and enhanced gift bags for attendees. We can unquestionably say this year’s series exceeded our expectations!”
The conference consisted of educational sessions from notable jewellery speakers, as well as a tour of Bass Museum of Art. In addition, attendees were among the first to see The Original Miami Beach Antique Show before it opened, with a tour of select jewellery exhibitor booths.
The next show scheduled is the Pier Antique Show, which will be held March 28 to 29 at Pier 94 in New York City.
