About Us
Mississippi Development Authority
Mississippi Market
Helping Mississippi Businesses Achieve Success
1996 - 2011
Since 1996, the Existing Industry and Business (EIB) Division of the Mississippi Development Authority has hosted Mississippi Market, an event designed to bring Mississippi business owners and artisans together with buyers from around the region. The concept behind the wholesale market is to help budding proprietors introduce their products, and increase business and sales for all participating vendors. The market is not open to the general public; it is strictly for credentialed retail buyers and Mississippi-based businesses showcasing their Mississippi-made products.
MDA assists up-and-coming businesses with other essential aspects required for successfully marketing a business. Year round, one-on-one assistance is provided on financing, packaging, labeling, staffing and cash flow. Each spring, prior to the show, a full day workshop is held for registered exhibitors to learn how to set up booths and price their items for wholesale.
Many of the artists and businesses that made their debuts at Mississippi Market have achieved such great success, they only exhibit at larger shows in larger markets. Many attend larger shows now, but still return to the Mississippi Market each year. As a result, 40 percent of exhibitors are brand new to the show each year. Since 1996, over 800 businesses have exhibited in the Mississippi Market.
After the 2009 show, the initial booth layout was expanded and has sold out every year since. Last minute cancellations allowed space for some, but not all those on the waiting list. The amount of sales written at the 2011 show was another record amount - $784,194– an increase of more than $98,000 from 2010.
The show continues to increases in exhibitors and sales each year, therefore continuing to attract more buyers to the variety of great quality products Mississippians have to offer. The Mississippi Market is held the first week of June each year at the Mississippi Trade Mart in Jackson.
For information on services provided by MDA, contact:
Mississippi Development Authority
Post Office Box 849
Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0849
Phone: 601.359.3593
Fax: 601.359.2116
http://www.mississippi.org