Leanne Stella, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stella Show Mgmt. Co.

"A Stella Show is more than just an antiques show. It's an event, a well-organized, cleverly conceived and deftly executed exposition of high-quality, in-demand merchandise that brings together buyer and seller as few other promoters do." So said Rod Hirsch, then columnist for AntiqueWeek a prominent national trade newspaper, and now associate news editor of the Home News Tribune in New Jersey.

These are flattering words, no question, and Leanne Stella, is determined that the quality of her company's events will only improve and continue to bring the countless customers that make a "Stella Show" so notable.

Leanne is second generation running the successful events management firm that her dynamic mother, Irene Stella, founded over 30 years ago. Together they have created some of the most successful antiques events in the country, among them, the internationally known Triple Pier Antiques Show in New York City.

Before taking the helm at Stella Show Mgmt. Co., Leanne attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI and remained in Rhode Island to open a series of successful restaurants. In 1991 she returned to the New York area to work in the family business full time. In the first year she launched the New York Coliseum Antiques Shows, and since then has added many other successful New York shows to the Stella calendar including: Antiques at the 69th Regiment Armory, Antiques at the Piers, the Gramercy Park Antiques Shows, The Modern Show, and Antiques & Garden Shows in three cities (New York, Chicago and Winston-Salem).

One of the most exciting parts of the antiques show management business, Leanne and Irene will tell you, is spotting trends in sales, and capitalizing on those trends. Powered by the growing popularity of decorative accessories for the garden and the subsequent success of the Gramercy Garden event, Leanne entered into a partnership with the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL, in 2000, producing one of the nation's most outstanding and successful events, the Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques and Garden Fair. Since then she has also created another garden event that has the industry buzzing, Beyond the Garden Gate in Winston-Salem, NC. The company has high hopes for this show.

Always searching for new trends in the business, Leanne Stella is spearheading new themed events in new areas including more in New York, Chicago and several other metropolitan centers.

Stella Show Mgmt. Co. is headquartered in the Chelsea section of Manhattan with a full time staff of ten show managers and office assistants. Several of Leanne's siblings participate in the company. Jeanne Stella is Artistic Director; sister in law Dorothy is the Financial Officer, Michael Stella is Site Operations Manager. Marianne Stella operates her own antiques shipping and delivery service (known as NJ Shippers). Leanne's brother John, a horticulturist, is a consultant for the company's garden shows. Her brother Andy and his wife sometimes lend a hand at the shows and Joanne Stella, an attorney, handles the company's legal matters.

Stella Show Mgmt. Co. can be found on the web at www.stellashows.com.

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