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Headline, September 7, 2006
John and Elaine Dunn
Veteran Show
Promoters Acquire MetroExpos
The newly-formed Metropolitan
Expositions LLC has announced the acquisition from Michael Stern of
Montville, N.J., of the operating assets as well as the New York City
and Washington, D.C., shows run by Metropolitan Expos, Inc. The popular
Metro New York and D.C. shows have been produced by Stern for more than
18 years and have established themselves as an important marketplace in
the areas in which they are held.
Metropolitan Expositions LLC is the product of a partnership formed by
three successful show promoters in their own right. Their acquisition of
the quarterly New York and annual D.C. shows has positioned them as the
leading independent East Coast stamp show producers and has been warmly
received by participating Metro Expo dealers and collectors.
The principals who make up Metropolitan Expos LLC are:
Richard Murphy of Northborough, Mass., who has staged his own Dedham,
Mass., First Sunday shows for more than 25 years, as well as producing
the annual NESS/Metro Boston show and managing recent NEASDA shows in
Massachusetts. Murphy also operates a stamp business under his own name.
ASDA member John Nunes of Scotia, N.Y., who operates a number of shows
in midstate New York, including CoverMania, Post Card Mania and Paper
Mania, the RJS shows in Schenectady and the Capital District Stamp Shows
in Albany. Nunes also operates a stamp and cover business under the name
Nunes Nook.
ASDA member John Dunn and Elaine Dunn of Merrimack, N.H., who operate
the Connecticut Stamp Collecting Festivals, which began in 1972 as the
Second Sunday Stamp Shows. John Dunn, who is a feature writer for
American Stamp Dealer, also produced three-day Connecticut Festivals in
the Hartford Civic Center, and the Dunns are the owners of Stamp News,
which publishes Mekeel's & Stamps weekly and U.S. Stamp News monthly.
In announcing the acquisition, the Metropolitan Expositions LLC
principals pledged to continue to work in cooperation with existing
organizations and shows, including the ASDA Postage Stamp Mega Events
that are held semi-annually in New York. In a joint statement they
explained, "Our goal is to increase the total number of collectors in
areas where Metropolitan Expo shows are held. We have all promoted our
own shows in the non-philatelic media as well as through the philatelic
media and will carry over to Metro Expos our previous success in
recruiting new collectors to organized philately.
"We seek growth for the hobby, and invite the participation of any
organizations, large or small, local or international, who want to work
with us to increase the size of the stamp collecting pie instead of just
trying to carve out a larger slice from a shrinking pie."
While the acquisition was finalized in advance of the September New York
Metropolitan Stamp Show, the first event that will be operated by the
new owners will be the free-admission December 8-10 New York Metro Expo,
which will be held at the Midtown Holiday Inn, 440 West 57th Street. The
first D.C. show under the new owners will be held January 12-14, 2007,
at the Hilton Washington at Dulles Airport.
In addition to all of the features that have made the Metro Expos so
popular, the new owners are increasing the size and appeal of the shows
by stepping up marketing efforts, increasing the number and drawing
power of the participating dealers, and adding society participation.
Additional sites and show acquisitions will also be considered on a
case-by-case basis.
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