The world’s premiere online resource for trade show and event industry news, Trade Show News Network, recently announced Retail’s BIG Show 2012 ranked #150 on their coveted Top 250 Trade Show list, up from 151 in 2011. This list represents the top trade events held each year within the United States and is ranked by net square footage. 

NRF’s 101st Annual Convention and EXPO welcomed more than 25,500 attendees from 78 countries and 400 exhibiting companies during the four-day event at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

“People come to Retail’s BIG Show year-after-year to see the latest cutting edge-technolgy, to meet and hear from the best and the brightest in our industry, and learn what’s next in retail,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.  “After 101 years, it’s our responsibility to our members and the industry to continue to be the premier trade event for retail professionals - we couldn’t do what we do without them..”

Not only was Retail’s BIG Show named to the list, but NRF had two other events make the cut, securing the honor of being the only non-exhibit management company with three events on the same list. For the first time, the 2012 Shop.org Annual Summit (243) made the list, totaling 37,800 net square feet, along with NRF’s 2012 Loss Prevention and EXPO (240).

As the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad.

Retailers operate more than 3.6 million U.S. establishments that support one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s This is Retail campaign highlights the industry’s opportunities for life-long careers, how retailers strengthen communities at home and abroad, and the critical role that retail plays in driving innovation.

National Retail Federation