by CHICAGO — Plans are set for the 18th edition of the Midwest Furniture Show, which will kick off Sept. 23 with a Sneak Peek for dealers, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the White Eagle Convention Center in Niles, Illinois. A coffee bar will be available in the morning, a free lunch at noon and complimentary cocktail hour beginning at 5 p.m. The show concludes on Sept. 25 with a similar schedule from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Allan Landau has coordinated the show for the past several years.
“We are happy to announce that the Midwest Furniture Show continues,” he said. “We have made some changes — taking away some things that are no longer important and adding vendors who offer updated choices for our dealers.”
Brent Jones is the current president of the Midwest Furniture Club and has been working with Landau and others to present a new and improved version of the show.
“We have a lot of folks — from our parent organization at IHFRA to new vendors to new customers — excited to have a place to come and really examine their business and consult with their business partners to navigate retail in an era of social media, online selling and inflation,” Jones said. “The Midwest Furniture Show has become that place.”
Jones, who also represents Ashley Furniture and has been showing at the Midwest Show for more than a decade, is excited about the event. “We are able to see our base, offer them specials, as well as see new customers who have not yet purchased our product.”
In addition to anchors like Magic Sleep, CasaMode, MDA rugs and Ashley, the show is expected to attract new vendors such as Flair Upholstery and Dreamscape Sleep.
“Some of our vendors such as Ashley and Magic Sleep have supported the show since it’s infancy,” Landau said. “Recently, marketing companies, tech companies and online resources have showed, helping our local independent furniture stores compete and evolve.”
The Midwest Furniture Show is a regional furniture, bedding and accessories show that is run by the Midwest Furniture Club, one of the largest IHFRA chapters in the United States. Each year the show attracts hundreds of retailers and designers from the Chicagoland and Upper Midwest markets.
Geoff Weed is one of the original founders of the Midwest Furniture Show and still works on presenting the show yearly.
“The original concept for this show was simple — 95% of the accounts in our territories don’t go to market,” he said. “So, if we can bring some of market to them, we’d all be better for it. Over the years, these customers have benefited from market specials, interaction with brand managers and the chance to see new lines they are not currently buying. We see way more accounts at this show than we do High Point or Las Vegas.”
“This is a working show,” Landau added. “Exhibitors write business and retailers get to see a number of vendors over two days. They can eat breakfast at home and be back home for dinner.”
“But we hope they stay all day. We will have coffee in the morning, a free lunch at noon and a social hour Wednesday afternoon of the 24th.”
“It’s a labor of love, with many IHFRA reps contributing to the Midwest furniture community,” Jones said. “Many members of our organization volunteer each year, helping with check-in or planning or cleanup. Our group is at heart a service organization for the upper Midwest furniture community.”
Anyone interested in attending or exhibiting can register at www.midwestfurnitureclub.com or contact Geoff Weed at 312-305-6421.
