257 Exhibitors from 29 countries showcased their products at the 2nd edition of Paperworld USA

Key Retailers, Dealers, Stationers, Wholesalers and Distributors visited the industry trade show in Miami Beach

The new Innovations Marketplace and New Product Showcase offered buyers many new products and ideas

Miami Beach, FL:  The second edition of Paperworld USA took place from November 8-10, 2006 in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Convention Center.  Paperworld USA is produced by Messe Frankfurt, Inc. in cooperation with the School, Home, & Office Products Association (SHOPA) and Propaper, the Spanish Stationery Association.  The show focused on four main product categories, including School, Home & Office; Imaging; Scriptum; and Creative products. The event welcomed 257 exhibitors and 2296 attendees from 70 countries.

Paperworld USA was formed by the school and office products industry in order to provide a stronger international networking platform in the United States.  The collaboration among the partners Messe Frankfurt, Inc., SHOPA and PROPAPER created a comprehensive industry event for a global marketplace as evidenced by the hundreds of attendees representing nearly every Latin American and Carribbean nation.  The strongest foreign visitor delegations came from Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ecuador and Colombia.

According to SHOPA President Steven Jacober, “Paperworld USA truly attracted a diverse group of buyers from around the globe.  We were pleased to have a strong contingency from Latin America attend this year’s event.  Especially well received was our new and exciting Innovations Marketplace Pavilion, which was an ideal opportunity for inventors to showcase soon-to-be-released innovative school and office products to buyers at the show.  Based on the success of the Pavilion, we’re making plans to expand this special feature in 2007!”

As mentioned by Mr. Jacober, a new addition to the trade show this year was the Innovations Marketplace pavilion, which featured eleven inventors with patent-pending industry products.  This pavilion was a big hit with many of the retailers as they continually search for new and interesting products or product improvements.  “We were very pleased to have been one of many inventors at the first Innovations Marketplace. This convention allowed us to talk with resellers, manufacturers, the press and seminar speakers.  The idea of having all of this under one roof is very exciting and informative and has helped us as an inventor,“ stated Greg Miller inventor of the Rotating Bill Organizer.

Another popular exhibit floor destination was the New Product Showcase, featuring the exhibitor’s new designs and products.  On display were nearly 70 new products from around the world, ranging from Arts & Crafts, Scrapbooking, Office Products & Supplies, School Accessories, Equipment & Machines, Computer Accessories, Stationery & Social Accessories and Meeting & Presentation Supplies. 

Also taking place during the three-day event was the SHOPA’s Kids In Need Foundation Award Gala, “An Event of Thanks and Celebration,“ held on Wednesday, November 8 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in South Beach.  The Gala, along with its Silent Auction held at the trade show, raised money towards their Kids In Need programs benefitting students and providing grants for educators.

Paperworld USA held 19 seminars and workshops, starting off with a keynote presentation by Mr. Bob Thacker, Senior Vice President, OfficeMax, titled “When Rules Don’t Rule.“ Another popular session was the annual “Color Trends“ presentation by Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, and Executive Director, Pantone Institute.

Next year’s Paperworld USA show will take place June 13-15, 2007 in Los Angeles, CA at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  Based on research and survey results, Messe Frankfurt, Inc. and SHOPA have positioned the show with a new time period to best meet the needs of the industry buyers and sellers.  One reason for the move was to create a better opportunity for the industry to participate in both Messe Frankfurt’s Paperworld China and Paperworld USA events. Messe Frankfurt’s three Paperworld events worldwide are now conveniently scheduled to allow visitors the opportunity to easily attend all of the Paperworld Brand events worldwide. Additionally, “the Los Angeles area is one of the largest and most dynamic retail markets in the world with convenient travel access for the Latin American and Asian markets,“ stated Daniel McKinnon, Vice President, Messe Frankfurt, Inc. Based on extensive research conducted by Messe Frankfurt,  June is an optimum time period for making purchasing decisions for many of the products represented at the show. 

Paperworld USA 2006 photos are available on the show web site www.paperworldUSA.com in the Photo Gallery tab.

                                                 ***

Exhibitor Quotes

Cardinal Brands, Lance Hurst, Sales/Inventory Analyst - USA “We had a very good show.  We had several of our customers from the Caribbean attend so it was a very worthwhile trip for us.”

Wonderwell’s, Timo Aarinen, CEO – Finland “We had the opportunity to introduce our company and present our innovative products to some high-level attendees from the US and other countries.  A good level of interest was generated and some quality leads were made.”

Tape N’ Shape, Stephanie Lee, President – USA “The show has been absolutely amazing – dynamic contacts and great exposure.“

Ambitious Writing Instruments, Amit Charla, Partner – India “Showcasing our products in Paperworld has been a positive move and we hope to be a part of it in the coming years.“

You will find further information about Paperworld USA and Messe Frankfurt on the Internet at www.paperworldUSA.com and www.usa.messefrankfurt.com.

Information about SHOPA is to be found at www.shopa.org and about PROPAPER at www.propaper.es.


For more details, contact:
Messe Frankfurt, Inc.
Attn: Scott Easton
1600 Parkwood Circle, Ste. 515
Atlanta, GA 30339