Munce Will Pick Up Where ECPA Left Off with Regionals

by Lynn Garrett, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 2/8/2006

In the wake of ECPA's official announcement at CBA Advance that it was abandoning its five winter regional trade shows, Munce Marketing Group has announced it will step in to fill the gap with two—and possibly three—regional shows beginning in January 2007.

To be called Christian Product Expo, the new shows will be open to all Christian retailers, in contrast to Munce's September CPE (held since 2003), which is only open to Munce member stores (the group currently has 750 affiliated retailers in 49 states and Canada). Shows are planned for Riverside, Calif. and Hershey, Penn., which were also the sites of ECPA shows in the past. A third show is possible for the Southeast, maybe in Atlanta, according to Munce COO Kirk Blank.

Since ECPA had seen attendance decline and felt the shows were no longer worth doing, why will it be different for Munce? "We have a different model," said Blank. "We've taken the best elements of a regional show and combine them with more of a seminar and fellowship environment." That includes much more directed time spent with vendors, built-in buying incentives, retailer to retailer training, and evening social events for attendees.

"We still feel there is a need for retailers to come together in a local setting, at a show that is not controlled by a trade association, but is run by retailers, for retailers," said Blank. Because of the CPE model, "100% of the stores come to buy." If a store meets with 60 vendors, attends 30 product presentations and places 30 orders, its attending staff receives full reimbursement for food, travel and lodging expenses. At Munce's fall CPE, 99% of attendees qualified for full reimbursement. "At the ECPA shows, only 40% qualified for any level of reimbursement, and very few for full reimbursement—and that was with lower requirements for ordering," said Blank. In contrast with the CBA conventions, he added, "all of the vendors contact attending retailers in advance of the show to give them information about products offered and show specials. That makes it more efficient for everyone."