CLEVELAND, Ohio – July 3, 2024:  Marketplace Events (MPE), North America’s largest business-to-consumer show producer, today announced the acquisition of two consumer holiday shopping shows in Birmingham, Ala. from BCBW Inc.

The acquisition includes the Christmas Village Festival, a holiday tradition in Alabama since 1981, which will run across five days from November 6-10, 2024 at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center (The BJCC). The event annually attracts 85,000 attendees who shop from 720 vendors offering a variety of holiday gifts, including arts, crafts, clothing, food, and jewelry. The second event, Cottontail’s Village Festival, features more than 250 vendors and 13,000 attendees in a spring shopping boutique that runs the first weekend of March, also at The BJCC.  Marketplace Events already produces the popular Birmingham Home Show at The BJCC, which has been running for more than 50 years.

“The Birmingham Christmas Village Festival is one of the best attended holiday shopping shows in North America,” said Mark White, CEO of Marketplace Events. The event is already sold out of exhibit space for 2024. “To add a show of this caliber to our current 14-show roster of holiday events is a key component to our growth strategy in this sector,” he explained.  “It also gives us our first opportunity to produce a spring boutique, which opens up new opportunities for growth in the other 13 cities in which we run holiday events.”

“It’s been a pleasure to work with Marketplace Events in the process of purchasing our beloved family business.  Forty-plus years of support from our Christmas Village community will continue in excellent hands.  Our exhibitors and shoppers can expect exceptional customer service and attention to design details to continue.  An Alabama Tradition of shopping Christmas Village Festival and Cottontail’s Arts, Crafts, & Gifts is falling into hands of fabulous leaders who will produce shows for future generations to continue to love,” said Lisa Fullilove, Owner of BCBW Inc.

With the completion of the BCBW Inc. acquisition, Marketplace Events now produces 16 holiday shows in the U.S. including the 12-day Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte, N.C., the best attended show of its kind in North America with more than 100,000 attendees each year.

Photo left to right:  Jennifer Smetana, Show Manager (MPE), Lisa Fullilove, Owner BCBW Inc.,
Ryan Rose, Vice President (MPE)