This year's International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) closed with attendance a fraction higher than last year and a sense of satisfaction from organizers and attendees.

Occupying the smallest floor space in recent years, the resized four-day event at the America's Center in St. Louis, saw total attendance of 4,747, according to CBA's preliminary close-of-show count yesterday, slightly ahead of 2009's 4,744 in Denver.

Professional attendance was 1,675, 4.5% up on last year's 1,607, while international visitors numbered 390, a rise of 4% on Denver's 373. Exhibitors for 2010 totaled 322, compared to 299 a year ago.

CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey said that he was "extremely excited" by the results, especially when considered in the light of the average 16% drop in attendance reported across other retail trade shows. "To be up at all, to me, is a testimony to the retailers here, to the industry, that they care, that they believe in what we are doing."

The first ICRS under new leadership since last fall's departure of longtime President and CEO Bill Anderson, the event had a significant focus on digital publishing, social media and visual entertainment.

For veteran retailer Steve Potratz, whose Parable marketing and franchise organization marked its 25th anniversary in St. Louis, it was "the most mission-driven show I have been at." He said: "This show is going very much back to what CBA is all about."

Harvest House Publishers President Bob Hawkins Jr., said that he was pleased with the event, where the company had forgone its usual hospitality suite to bring all its business onto the show floor. "This is where there's a lot of synergy that takes place," he said. "Even though it's sometimes distracting, it's better to meet people a the booth because of the serendipitous type of discussions that you wouldn't have elsewhere."

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