In the nineties, we were holding open houses at our three branches in MA, NY and CT. Some vendors and dealers would come to our buildings and review products. Pizza, burgers, hot dogs, and beverages were enjoyed by all.

As time went by, we decided to step it up and hold the “shows” in a nice venue with upper scale food and “adult beverages” ( always an attraction ). We wanted to show our appreciation to our dealers and vendors. The Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, CT got the nod. We had six vendors, more dealers and we were off and running.

Attendance was growing each year and more and more vendors wanted to participate. That we could get them a lot of dealers under one roof was a big attraction that they wanted to take advantage of.

We now have over 120 vendors exhibiting and thousands of attendees at our shows.

2000: The New Really Big Show:

Our 1999 show outgrew the club. We needed a new facility that would provide flexibility to accommodate more people, vendors and to hold many training seminars. The 2000 show moved to Foxwoods Resort & Casino in CT. In addition to the above, now people could enjoy the restaurants, casinos, and comfortable quality guest rooms. With continued growth, we moved to Mohegan Sun in 2009.

2011: The Mid-Atlantic Show:

As we opened more branches, we held a show at the Dover Downs Resort & Casino in Delaware to better accommodate our dealers in the Mid-Atlantic and southern states. They loved the proximity to where they were based.

2013: We set up shop at Camden Yards. It was winter so no baseball but everyone had a great time.

2014-15: Valley Forge Resort & Casino in King of Prussia was the place.

2016: Returned to Dover Downs which provided the most central location for our dealers and we have been there since.

2015 to present: Satellite Shows:

With our expansion into new markets that are more distant, we have been running local events in Western NY, Chesapeake VA, Raleigh NC and Rockaway NJ, our newest branch.

2021: The Virtual Show:

Due to the unfortunate changes in life caused by the covid-19 pandemic, we organized a virtual 3 day show that was well received and attended by dealers and vendors. Thank you for all your support.

Through the years, we have added many new features and events such as:

• Vendor Deals of the Day.
• Raffles.
• The Cash Cube.
• Trivia Contests.
• Presenting annual vendor awards for outstanding support for dealers and Baystate.

 

We are excited and are looking forward to seeing everyone at our 2023 events.

Save the dates: 13th Mid-Atlantic February 7 and 24th Mohegan Sun February 22.