Greg K. Kramer & Co.
By Laura Beach
PHILADELPHIA, PENN. — Barely a month after the Philadelphia Antiques Show announced dates for 2016, and scarcely two months after they were formally named its managers, Diana Bittel and Karen and Ralph DiSaia acknowledge that the fair is nearly full. The robust turnaround follows the January cancellation of the 2015 show, which had been scheduled for April.
The promoters, who call their partnership DiSaia Bittel, recently concluded two days of meetings in Philadelphia devoted to the discussion of everything from the show’s design to its promotion. A save-the-date card has gone to the printer and will soon be in the mail.
“We sent out invitation letters to dealers two weeks ago,” Karen DiSaia acknowledged last week, noting that 54 firms have already expressed their desire to participate next year.
“We have a target of about 60 exhibitors, give or take. In our letter, we gave prospective exhibitors an idea of the price structure and asked them to indicate their ideal booth size. We will build a floor plan based on their response,” she said.
Many of the 54 dealers who have committed to next year’s show participated in 2014. Charles Clark, Barbara Israel, Sumpter Priddy III, Elliott & Grace Snyder and Jonathan Trace are returning after a hiatus of a year or more. New exhibitors include John Chaski, Peter Clarke Gallery, Philip Colleck, Ltd, The Cooley Gallery, Godel & Company, Hill-Stone, Mellin’s Antiques and James L. Price.
The tax concerns that discouraged some dealers from exhibiting in Philadelphia appear largely resolved. “Filing is much simpler and straightforward now. Anyone with a calculator could figure it out and the first $100,000 is exempt from sales tax,” said DiSaia.
The managers are committed to working within the traditional committee structure of the Philadelphia Antiques Show, led by 2016 co-chairmen Anne Hamilton and Nancy Kneeland. Some volunteers who had been alienated have agreed to return to the show. Committees are being streamlined to improve their function.
Hamilton and Kneeland are among the fair’s greatest assets, DiSaia said. “Anne and Nancy have very strong ties to the community and to our charity sponsor, Penn Medicine.” She added, “The Haverford Trust Company has agreed to be our presenting sponsor and we have other deals for underwriting and advertising support. Once the decision was made to go forward with the show, we hit the ground running and are really excited.”
“I am thrilled that a lot of people who had backed off are coming back. And we have new people coming on board. Everyone has been very welcoming and enthusiastic,” Bittel agreed.
The show’s website is currently under construction. To reach DiSaia Bittel, www.disaiamanagement.com or www.dianabittelantiques.com.
