Great Lakes Gift Show to host retail expert Bob Negen
The second Great Lakes Gift Show, taking place March 3-5, 2026, at the Kalamazoo Convention Center located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, will feature two one-hour seminars by Bob Negen, cofounder of Whizbang! Retail Training.
The sessions will be free to attend. Negen is a champion of independent retail. A retailer himself for 19 years, he turned his single kite store into an award-winning multi-million-dollar toy store chain. Now, he uses his four decades of retail experience to help store owners and managers learn the business skills they need to compete in today’s hyper-competitive retail world.
The gift show will include 175 exhibitor booths filled with artisans, first-time exhibitors, manufacturer reps and wholesalers showcasing local, regional and national brands and gift lines. Products being displayed will include apparel, bath and body, books and publications, cards and stationary, garden, gifts, holiday, home décor, jewelry, made in the USA, resort, seasonal, souvenir and novelty, and toys…