Rachel Ford - 10/23/2024

Laura Delano owns and is president of LLD Productions, Inc., a gem and mineral show promotion company. Laura promotes several shows throughout the year. LLD Productions' West Coast Gem & Mineral Show - Fall is next in the company's show roster — November 8-10 in Santa Ana, Calif. Now in its thirty-fifth year, this well-established show is a must-see for anyone seeking a gem and mineral show that fits what Laura describes as a "pure show." She explains, "While we could sell space to vendors (who want to sell sage, candles, rugs, etc.) just to fill space, we do not do that," Laura explains when asked what makes her show unique.

The West Coast Gem & Mineral Show is a bi-annual show, with one show in the spring and one in the fall each year. Former show owner and promoter Marty Zinn of Martin Zinn Expositions (MZE) founded the West Coast Spring and Fall Gem & Mineral Shows and several other popular gem, mineral, and fossil shows throughout the U.S. Zinn ran the shows for many years with the management help of several assistants, including Laura. When Zinn retired in 2018, Laura took over the ownership and management of several of the MZE shows, including the two West Coast Gem & Mineral shows. Laura now owns and manages these two shows along with the East Coast Gem & Mineral Show in West Springfield, Mass., along with her family team, Bob, Brent, and Gretchen, and under the consultation of Marty and Rose Zinn.

The show is open to the public and offers free parking and admission to shoppers wishing to peruse mineralogical finds from 80 select retail and wholesale vendors. The fall West Coast Gem & Mineral Show and its sister spring show are recognized as California's most significant mineral and fossil shows. The shows are held yearly at the luxurious Holiday Inn Orange County Airport near John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, making it extremely convenient for vendors and shoppers to attend.

Laura is also an avid mineral collector. At age twelve, she recalls, her father began instilling in her a love of rocks, passing down to her many specimens from his collection. Laura has, in turn, continued the tradition with her two adult children, Brent and Gretchen. 

Stay tuned to Xpo Press media for updates on two new shows that are currently in development by LLD Productions. and the special planned addition of a 'Kids Kraft Korner" spearheaded by Darryl Powers of Dan's Publications at the 2025 East Coast Gem & Mineral Show.

For more detailed info about each of LLD Productions’ shows, i.e. show hours, contact info, cost of admission, Google map with directions, and vendor lists visit their show profile pages on the Xpo Press website: West Coast Gem & Mineral Show - Fall, West Coast Gem & Mineral Show - Spring, and the East Coast Gem & Mineral Show. 

All photos are from the private collection of Laura Delano. Photos by Jeffrey Scovil © 2024. All rights reserved.