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27 Years of Successful Antiques Show Production.

1981 Marvin Getman, while employed as a marketing executive, followed his passion and produced his first antiques show at Boston's Park Plaza Castle. The New Year's show became an early success among New Year's Day shows. Getman used this success as a catapult to enter show production full time and became one of the leading consumer show producers in the area. For a brief time he opened an exhibition facility in Methuen Massachusetts to house his, and other producer's, shows.

1998 Getman started a show in Wilmington, MA at the Shriner's Auditorium. The first show had 70 dealers and quickly built to 160 dealers as word spread about the quality of the show and its buying audience. Now held twice a year in October and January, the Greater Boston Antiques Festival consistently attracts dealers from all over the northeast and has a waiting list for space. The trade papers consistently praise Getman's shows.

2004 Getman took over a floundering 40 dealer show in Essex Junction, Vermont, moved the date to Columbus Day weekend to take advantage of the hordes of tourists in Vermont, moved the show into the new Miller Expo Center on the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, and recruited many of his Wilmington dealers to take a shot with his new show.

After an extensive promotional campaign, the first show attracted thousands of people from 35 states, Canada, and 4 European countries. The show immediately became the Largest Antiques show in Vermont and received the coveted "Top Ten Fall Events" award from The statewide Chamber of Commerce in 2004 and 2005. Yankee Magazine and Boston Magazine add the show to their annual "pick's" list. Heading into its 4th year, the "Champlain Valley Antiques Festival" has become a destination for antiques-loving tourists from all over the country.

For 2008, the show moves to the glamorous Sheraton Exposition Center in Burlington, VT next door to the University of Vermont.In addition to the thousands of tourists in the area in early October, UVM's parents weekend gives this show a built-in audience.

At the end of 2004 Getman decided to concentrate on building his antiques show business after selling his other shows and began to look for appropriate venues for quality shows.

2005 Getman discovered the Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley and saw that these beautiful grounds, home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, were meant for a quality outdoor antiques show.

After 14 months of planning, and following an intensive promotional campaign, "Antiques at Elm Bank" was held under tents and in two historic buildings. Getman calls the show the most successful first-time show in his career. Despite very hot temperatures, the show drew a large audience of enthusiastic buyers. Dealers commented on the impressive number of young attendees giving hope that the antiques business is "alive and well." The trade papers reviewers rave about the show.

2006 Encouraged by the success of the Wellesley show, Getman immediately began planning a show which would be his "ultimate challenge", a downtown Boston show. Over the years, shows had come and gone in the city but there had not been a successful large show in the city for many years. His plan called for bringing together three separate show themes on the same weekend in one building. The event would be a celebration of antiques, art, antiquarian books, ephemera, antique textiles and vintage fashion. He chose a major expo center in the city large enough to handle such an event.

A heavy advertising and promotion campaign propelled "Boston Antiques Weekend" into the spotlight and on the last weekend of March 2007, with the expo center full with 250 dealers, almost 8,000 customers attended the show.

As Getman's ads proclaimed "Boston is a world-class city, now it has a world'-class antiques event.

Building on the success of the first Boston show, Boston Antiques Weekend was moved to the spacious Seaport World Trade Center, on Boston's exciting new waterfront.

2008 Getman, bucking the conventional wisdom about starting a new show in a slowing economy, decided to introduce a new show at the historic Topsfield Fairgrounds in Massachusetts.

The Memorial Day show drew a large crowd for the many dealers who were located on the grounds in tents and in two buildings. Customers commented on the quality of the dealers and that they were happy to see a show at Topsfield once again. The show will happen again on Memorial Day Weekend in 2009. Because it takes place one week after the famous Brimfield shows, many out-of-state dealers are expected to participate.

2009 Boston's newest arts district, SoWa in the South End, will become the home of Getman's latest venture. The SoWa Antiques Market will be a weekly antiques market housed in a historic trolley power station in conjunction with the SoWa Open Market. Dealers will set up each Sunday beginning May 16-17. 2009 in this interesting weather protected structure. There will be 2, two-day events to coincide with the SoWa Art Walk in May and the South End Open Studios in September. For more information and a complete schedule on this exciting market click here.

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