For Immediate Release

TASTEFULLY SIMPLE PARTY PALOOZA TO BE HELD AUGUST 2-5 FOR FIRST TIME AT GREATER COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER

Direct-selling association Tastefully Simple will gather thousands of consultants from around the country for its national Party Palooza event from August 2-5 at the SMG-managed Greater Columbus Convention Center for the first time.

“We have 2,012 registered, so this will be our single-largest event ever. Columbus is easier to get to and we have the highest percentage ever of consultants attending,” said Rob Mosbacher, Tastefully Simple senior lead for conference, events & travel. “We’ll unveil the new product line and have opportunities to sample new products.”

A highlight of the event, The Great Tasting, will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 2 in Exhibit Hall E.

“Vendors from throughout the United States will showcase their new products that they would like to see appear in our catalog,” said Tastefully Simple Conference Manager Jan Sahli. “There will be 20+ products and we’ll use audience polling devices. If the products get good ratings, they may appear in our product line in years to come.”

Tastefully Simple, founded in 1995 by Jill Blashack Strahan, is a direct sales company that is based in Alexandria, Minnesota and valued at more than $100 million. There are about 24,000 independent consultants nationwide presenting more than 60 food and gift products through residential taste-testing parties.

Products are known for providing customers with easy-to-prepare options and therefore more time away from the kitchen to enjoy other aspects of their lives, prompting the company tagline “The food you love, the time you deserve.”

Guests are able to sample products before they purchase them and receive recipes and tips in serving the seasonings, soups, breads, sauces, snacks, dressings, desserts and beverages priced from $4.49 to $9.99.

The company was a 2005 Inc. 500 Hall of Fame recipient, 2008 Stevie Award for Women in Business Employer of the Year and Website of the Year and recognized in 2011 by The Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces as one of the Top Small Workplaces.

The company was founded following Blashack Strahan’s success in offering food samples from her gift baskets at a crafters’ home tour. She then combined a philosophy of offering a unique and convenient product line, personalized service and a festive selling approach into forming Tastefully Simple.

“As the original national home taste-testing company, the ‘try before you buy’ approach has resulted in great success for Tastefully Simple,” said SMG Regional General Manager Craig M. Liston.

The Greater Columbus Convention Center, located in downtown Columbus, hosted an estimated 2.5 million visitors in 2011. The facility is owned by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority and is managed by SMG.

Since 1977, SMG has provided management services to more than 220 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, equestrian facilities and convention, congress and exhibition centers. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 11 million square feet of exhibition space. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening services, venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through an in-house catering company, Savor, currently servicing more than 100 accounts worldwide.

Visit www.columbusconventions.com and www.smgworld.com for more information.
Contact:
Jennifer B. Davis
Marketing & Communications Manager
Greater Columbus Convention Center
(614) 827-2538