Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2017 36 L as Vegas Market also experienced an increase in designer attendance, with notable cross-category benefit for furniture, home décor, gift and tabletop exhibitors alike. Jesse James, founder and creative director of Aesthetic Movement, a multi-line sales agency that relocated from C10 to C1 this market, commented, "This is our fifth Las Vegas Market, but this is a really new experience this time. We are drawing designers, as well as lots of furniture retailers. Our market-to-market growth is much higher this time, because of the growth of Las Vegas overall and because of our new location." The furniture category presented the largest breadth and depth of resources this winter, including more than 115,000 se. ft. of renewed showroom space and 55,000 sq. ft. of new and expanded showrooms in Buildings A & B. Highlights included a significant expansion of the Building B lobby, to showcase new spaces for Abbyson Living and CDI Furniture; line expansions by major bedding brands that complement the 60+ mattress & bedding companies featured at market; and increasing numbers of casual furniture suppliers, including many new-to-Market firms, such as leading brands Winston Furniture and Noble House. Furniture exhibitors were overwhelmingly upbeat about their business at Winter Market. "We had a phenomenal market," asserted Claudio Fraschetti, vice president of sales North America for Amalfi Home Furniture. "Market a year ago was fantastic and this one topped it! The buyers we saw were 'cream of the cream' and commitments were made at the show on the spot," Fraschetti commented. Home décor continues to be a growth category, particularly in the better home fashions segment, and Winter 2017 marked a complete remerchandising of the design-driven décor on floors C3, C4 and C5. Cody Ables, CEO of national sales management team CODARUS, enthused, "We love our new and expanded location on C3! We are having our best market in the five years we have been in Las Vegas. We are seeing home accessory buyers and designers from Texas to the West Coast and all around the USA. We are hopeful that the Las Vegas Market can maintain its upward trend!" Gift was one of the fastest growing categories this winter, with 37 new and expanded showrooms bringing an additional 250+ lines to Las Vegas Market. "We had a great show and great traffic," remarked Bob Caldwell Jr., president of Grace Management Group, representing high-profile home fragrance brands including Bridgewater, Greenleaf, Heartstrings, Votivo, and Willowbrook. "There was a different level of traffic and excitement than I've experienced at prior markets here. Las Vegas has felt like the up-and- coming market for the past few years – but now the future is here!" Winter Market also featured a tremendous surge in temporary exhibits, with more than 500 gift and home lines located in The Pavilions, including 180 first-time participants. Pavilion 1 spotlighted resources in five distinct sections–gift, home, B home, handmade, and design—with the gift and handmade segments completely sold out. Pavilion 2 featured DISCOVERIES: The Antique Vintage Marketplace, which grew by more than 50% this market. Other sold- out exhibits included: home furnishings temporaries on B2, at full capacity for the eighth consecutive Market; and casual and outdoor on C12 and C13. A full slate of special events, awards programs, seminars and guided tours of the market with top designers, magazine editors and industry professionals were presented during Winter Market. Highlights included the first-ever hosting of the 2017 Housewares Design Awards recognizing design excellence by leading brands in 12 core housewares and home categories, and honoring West Elm LOCAL as the inaugural "Design Influencer of the Year". In addition, the 12th edition of the signature FIRST LOOK program offered exclusive insights into the latest color, design and style trends, and highlighted by a fresh, new display showcasing those trends in the Grand Plaza. Coming off Winter Market's record-setting performance, anticipation is high for the Summer 2017 Las Vegas Market, which is scheduled for July 30-August 3, 2017. In addition to continued expansion, summer market highlights will include the annual "Up on the Roof" gala charity event benefiting Gift For Life; the third annual ANDYZ design awards, recognizing the year's best interior design projects; AHEAD OF THE CURVE presenting a design influencer's view of market; and the exclusive FIRST LOOK trend presentation spotlighting directional trends with the best new-to-market products. "With a strong start right out of the gate in 2017, we anticipate further growth for our Summer Market," said Maricich. "As we continue to add categories and resources across furniture, home décor and gift, more buyers are seeing the tangible value our market provides: a one-stop- shop with unlimited opportunities to 'Discover the Extraordinary'." Las Vegas Market is the nation's fastest growing gift and home décor market and the leading furniture marketplace in the western U.S., presenting 4,000+ gift, home décor and furniture resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market features thousands of gift, furniture and home décor lines, allowing for cross-category commerce among these industries. The Summer 2017 Las Vegas Market runs July 30-August 3, 2017. Please visit www.lasvegasmarket.com for more information. WINTER 2017 LAS VEGAS MARKET RO

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