LAS VEGAS – (August 15, 2012) –The Summer 2012 Las Vegas Market delivered an energized Gift+Home show highlighted by the debut of more than 90 new-to-market lines, 282 Gift+Home Temporaries, and the debut of a high-end home décor showcase on the 3rd floor of Building B (B3). Buyers and suppliers alike applauded news of the bold re-merchandising plans announced by International Market Centers (IMC), the parent company of Las Vegas Market, which aims to concentrate complementary resources throughout the campus beginning in 2013, ultimately positioning Building C as the destination for the gift and home marketplace for the Western United States.

“There was a sense of excitement in the air during this Market’s Gift+Home show,” said Dorothy Belshaw, president of Gift+Home Décor for IMC. “Much of the buzz surrounded the new resources, new line introductions from existing tenants, and announcement of the Gift+Home strategic plan designed to reposition, enrich and accelerate growth of the gift, lifestyle and home decor market in Las Vegas.”

Las Vegas Market officials reported a modest increase in retail store attendance over last year, and an 8 percent increase over two years ago. Further, leading manufacturers’ representatives and corporate gift brands reported growth in year-on-year sales volume despite current macro economic trends.

“At the start of the year, Las Vegas opened the doors to its strongest market in three years and set the tone for a positive 2012. While total traffic at August show was lighter, as at other summer markets, individual store attendance was up from prior summer shows. Furthermore, the retailers who came were serious about buying,” said Robert Maricich, chief executive officer of IMC. “It’s very encouraging to see the number of individual buying units continue to grow especially given the summer slow down at retail. The trajectory at Las Vegas Market continues to trend upward."

August 2012 Las Vegas Market drew a ‘super-regional’ base of buyers from coastal states, pacific north-west, southwest, rocky mountain states and the mid-west. 67 percent of the gift buyers hailed from the western states, 16 percent from southwest and 9 percent from mid-west.

Holding strong in its international reach—especially in the Americas—Canadian and Mexican buyers represented 47 percent and 29 percent of the international buyer attendance at Summer 2012 Market, respectively. Latin American buyers represented 13 percent, with a substantial increase from the Dominican Republic, Columbia and Panama. Attendance from Russia also increased positioning it among the top 20 international regions for Las Vegas Market.

Retailers primarily interested in gift and home décor categories have grown to account for one-third of the total buyers attending Las Vegas Market including more than 1,500 first-time gift and home store attendees. In addition, 50 percent of attending furniture buyers also express interest in cross-over buying into gift and décor categories, opening up new distribution channels for gift and home suppliers in Las Vegas. Summer 2012 Market also attracted growing numbers of interior designers and hospitality buyers—approximately 16 percent of the total buyer base—adding further sales opportunities for its tenants.

Las Vegas Market hosted members from a variety of gift buying groups including Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals (AHVRP), Florists for Change, Monograms USA, Purchasing Power Plus, ACE Hardware, Ideation and more.

Dirk Lorenz, Board member for buying group Florists for Change, which represents 300 independent florists said, “Our group felt valued and welcomed at Las Vegas Market. In my years of planning regional and national meetings, I have never experienced the sincere level of cooperation and accommodation that I experienced at Las Vegas Market. The facilities were far beyond our expectations. We are anxious to plan our annual meeting for 2013 alongside the summer show.”

Gift+Home permanent showrooms featured more than 90 new product lines, with top tenants including Imagine That!, Homestyle, Next Step Reps and new-to-market rep groups, White Dove Gifts with 15new lines and Gifts of Nature with more than 25 lines. The Gift + Home Temporaries filled two floors in Building C with more than 282 gift and décor lines. The vibrant and diversified assortment of resources created new opportunities and buying efficiencies for gift buyers at Market.

The fully leased B3 showcase consistently drew attendees throughout the week as it featured fashion-forward collections of home décor resources and created ease-of-navigation for attendees ranging from furniture retailers to interior designers and gift store retailers. B-3 showrooms new to Las Vegas Market included Wendover Art, Daniel Stuart Studio, Best Slip Cover, Pacific Green Furniture, Made Goods, Furniture Classics, LuLu & Co. and Blue Ocean Traders. Tenants that relocated to B3 from other areas of Las Vegas Market included Lazy Susan, Noir, GO Home, Bougainvillea, D.B. Imports, Ltd., Artisan House, Arteriors Home and Brownstone Furniture.

Autumn Rutledge of Surya, a B3 participant, said, “Overall, we are very happy with the traffic and customers. The other showrooms on B3 worked well with us to make the destination a success.”

Additionally, three gift and home décor exhibitors, Primitives by Kathy, eyebobs eyewear and The Naked Bee, were all recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Merchandising at the Gift+Home show at 2012 Summer Las Vegas Market. Celebrity designer Monica Pedersen of HGTV and home products and trends editor Julie Smith Vincenti evaluated spaces on innovation, creativity, technique and aesthetic.

Gift exhibitors and buyers had many positive reactions to Summer Market:

“We’ve had a fabulous market,” said National Sales Manager for IMAX, Susan Andrulis. “We’re very pleased with the expansion of our showroom, and we had more customer flow throughout the showroom than in markets past. Customers were very upbeat.”

Joshua Larsen, director of operations for White Dove Gifts, Inc., said, “The Summer Market show was amazing—it’s definitely a national show. I think the international traffic from Mexico and South America was outstanding.”

“We had quality leads, many of which will turn into orders,” said Frank Hofland, president of Accent Décor. “Las Vegas Market is a good show for us, and while traffic seemed light, orders were up from last summer.”

First-time gift store buyer, Ellen Morley Matthews of Indianapolis-based retailer Chelsea’s said, “Las Vegas Market went very well. We have done Market twice a year for twenty-six years and this was our first Las Vegas Market. Now we intend to make Las Vegas our destination for January and July. What stood out in Las Vegas was the caliber of exhibitors as well as the number of exhibitors. We wrote many more orders and spent many more thousands of dollars in Las Vegas than several years at other market centers.”

On the second day of Market, IMC unveiled plans for a strategic evolution of the Las Vegas Market Gift+Home show—positioning it as the most comprehensive buying platform for buyers in the western United States. This new shift will afford buyers and sellers new opportunities in the gift and home sector, transforming it to new heights.

“The support from current and new tenants regarding our newly imagined direction for Gift+Home was positive,” added Belshaw. “Buyers come to Market for one reason alone—to find new product resources. The accelerated growth of Gift+Home is based strengthening existing resources, launching new categories, and enriching the presentation of better goods to provide an unparalleled buying opportunity in the West.”

For more information on Las Vegas Market, visit www.giftandhomelv.com.

About World Market Center Las Vegas
World Market Center Las Vegas is an integrated home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom and trade complex. The campus showcases furniture, decorative accessories, gift, lighting, area rugs, home textiles and related segments, as well as the Las Vegas Design Center open daily to consumers and designers. For more information on World Market Center Las Vegas and its trade shows including the bi-annual Las Vegas Market and Gift+Home, visit www.wmclv.com. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

World Market Center Las Vegas is a property of International Market Centers, L.P. (IMC), the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. International Market Centers owns and operates 11.5 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, N.C. and Las Vegas. IMC’s mission is to build and operate an innovative, sustainable, profitable and scalable platform for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. For more information on IMC, visit imcenters.com.