Buyer Testimonials
What Buyers Say About The Show...
"A great show at a perfect time of year. The speakers were wonderful – well worth getting up early for!"
Mary Reilly, Irish Centre, Spring Lake, NJ
"Thank you for the great show. The seminars are great – I would go for those alone!"
Betty Cochrane, Irish Treasures, Vero Beach, FL
"What I like about Celtic Marketplace…it’s easier to spend time with vendors to discuss products, politics and other topics that make us one big family; I see companies there that do not attend the other show; NACTA does a great job in creating a relaxed educational environment".
Gary Colopy, Heart of Ireland, Bay City, MI
"Great seminars and great new vendors…this show is extremely valuable to me. Thank you."
Margaret McLemore, Irish Traditions, Easton, MD
"I can't say enough about the Celtic Marketplace. This show is very important to us. The seminars are wonderful. A person is crazy not to take advantage of these! The Shop Forum is so helpful to get ideas and hear what others are going through. I feel so fortunate to have this organization to learn from and have fun. When I talk to other retailers in our city I am reminded that going to "Market" isn't just buying, it is learning".
Anne Trulley, Trulley Irish Imports, DePere, WI
"I extended my stay because of the seminars offered – which the Exhibitors benefited from, as I have now added some new product to my store! As a fairly new member, I also appreciated the help that some of the "older" members gave me".
Lisa Van Valkenburgh, The World Traveller, Yachats, OR
"We enjoy the Lombard Show because of the ability to spend time with each of the vendors. Face to face discussions create friendships, establish relationships and levels of trust and understanding for each party. The trade shows are unmatched for bringing vendors and buyers together".
Charlie & Phyllis Bolton, The Irish Shop, Glenside, PA
"As always, I was very pleased with the show and very impressed with the products from the new vendors. New product is critically important and this show does a great job of giving us new lines. The seminars are so educational ...the merchandising clinic was fantastic!!!! NACTA has strengthened my store and the image our Celtic stores put forth. I will certainly continue to attend this show. Thanks for all you do!".
Mary Heneghen, Tara Gift Shop, Buffalo, NY
"NACTA did a fabulous job at Celtic Market Place. I picked up some new vendors which changes out the merchandise for the customers. All the seminars were extremely helpful - I thought the Diamond seminar was so informative. All the evening activities are great fun and what a bunch of really fun people to be around - share retails tips, etc, etc, etc. Thanks!".
Clare McCarthy, Celtic Trends, Midway, KY
"I really enjoy attending Celtic Marketplace. It is the perfect opportunity to top up orders for the holiday season and to look ahead to St Patrick's Day. My store and I have benefited from various seminars offered. It's an all-around great show and the timing is perfect".
Cheryl Parabicoli, The Tinker’s Cart, Clinton, MA
"Celtic Marketplace is a great venue for meeting and exchanging with other store owners. The seminars have proven to be invaluable to our business. Each time we attend we take back to our store ideas that refresh our look and improve our bottom line".
Steve Hand, Legends of the Celts, Hayward, WI
"Celtic Marketplace comes at a great time of the year: after the lull of summer and just in time for the Christmas season. Taking advantage of the cash-and-carry that some vendors offer allows us to test-out merchandise without having to place a minimum order".
Patricia Lloyd, Irish & Celtic Imports, Rochester, NY
"I find this show useful in a number of ways. It's a good way to see established suppliers, see new product they might have and order for the holiday season. By mid-September my budgets and sales projections for the all-important December rush are pretty much in place and the Lombard show is an excellent opportunity to complete the buying. Finally, it's a useful way of keeping a finger on the pulse of the industry. Talking to suppliers and other store owners is a way to benchmark my own successes and failures and make sure I'm keeping up and moving forward".
Paul Carey, Irish Design Center, Pittsburgh, PA
"There are so many reasons we love this show. Celtic Marketplace in Lombard is the most informal and friendly of all the shows we attend; the seminars are terrific; we find lots of new vendors there - we have gotten 60% of our new merchandise in Lombard; it’s great for Christmas top-up and for St. Patrick's Day orders.
It's also an opportunity to visit and enjoy Chicago. We are amazed by the beautiful floral displays on The Miracle Mile. You have never seen so many flowers in a city. That, combined with the Lakeshore makes for a beautiful city. And the food…Did you know that Chicago has more restaurants than any other city in the US? We watch the Food Network! The first thing we do is go to Portillo’s for Hot Dogs. I’m telling you these are not ordinary hot dogs and these are not ordinary restaurants. My first clue was the drive through…they have kids with earphones taking orders and directing traffic - at 2 o’clock in the afternoon! Gino's East is the place to go for for Chicago Deep Dish Pizza and everybody loves Chicago Cheesecake. Plus you gotta count all the steak restaurants... there’s Harry Carey’s, Ruths Chris, or Lawery's Steaks for starters. One of our favorite restaurants is only 10 minutes from the hotel. Pappadaux is a Louisiana style restaurant that serves Oysters Pappadaux, Seafood Gumbo, Crawfish and other melt in your mouth specialties. We plan to eat our way through the show for many years to come".
Cindy & Steve Washburn, Oxford Hall Celtic Shoppe, New Cumberland, PA
