Nearly 20 representatives from more than a dozen companies were given a preview of the 2015 International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in September at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The show will be held June 28-July 1.

CBA will institute programming changes at this year’s ICRS, beginning with a general session Sunday afternoon before worship services and the Sunday evening concert. Monday and Tuesday general sessions and training will have exclusive hours, and exclusive exhibit-floor hours have been designed around those sessions. The Monday kickoff session begins at 8 a.m. with a keynote presentation followed by breakout sessions before the exhibit floor opens at 10 a.m.

ICRS “trendshops” will continue for fiction and film/DVD. The Children’s Product Trends session will feature a new research and presentation format, CBA announced. In addition, there will be more formal and informal time for networking among retailers, suppliers and content creators.

International guests will benefit from additional special programming in 2015. In partnership with Media Associates International and the Magazine Training Institute, ICRS will feature specialized training and consulting for international publishing and magazine development and operations. All international events will be in the convention center.

Show attendees also will receive free buyer registration without having to room in the CBA hotel block, although competitive room rates will be offered there. Booth space rates also have been reduced.

In addition to regular exhibit booths and areas, the 2015 ICRS will feature special areas for authors/artists and international licensing and rights sales. Hospitality suites will be available outside the exhibit floor, and new space configurations allow meeting rooms within exhibiting areas on the show floor.

For 2016 and beyond, CBA continues to work with Arrowhead Conferences and Events to finalize new locations. Arrowhead’s Jill Jordan told ICRS-preview attendees that cities under consideration will enable CBA to offer lower prices for all attendees and exhibitors. Possible locations for 2016 include Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; Austin, Texas; Cincinnati; and Phoenix. The 2016 location will be announced this fall with the 2017 site announced soon after.

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