LAS VEGAS, March 13, 2013 – The Winter GIFT+HOME at Las Vegas Market, January 28-February 1, 2013, recorded a surge in buyers from both the U.S. increasing by 25% and international increasing by 45% – over Winter 2012 and making it the most successful market to date.

“Our expansion of resources is bringing more gift and home buyers to Las Vegas and retailers are pleased with both the quality, and the growing quantity of market resources,” said Dorothy Belshaw, president of Gift & Home Décor, International Market Centers. “Our post-market analysis of attendance data indicates that Las Vegas is fast becoming a “super-regional” draw and with continuation on this trajectory, are becoming the leading market for gift and home décor in the Western U.S.”

As previously reported, the January 2013 market drew buyers from all 50 states. A detailed review of data indicates strong increases in domestic buyer growth, particularly from the Midwest and North East. In addition to geographic gains, there also were gains in several store types and categories, including floral/seasonal, toy stores, antique stores, stationery/paper goods, drug/pharmacy stores, gallery/museum stores, hospital gift shops and specialty stores.

Anecdotal reports indicated high levels of satisfaction not only with resources presented, but also with the market’s physical layout and buyer amenities. “It was the best market I’ve been to actually,” stated Dawn Wilkinson, owner of Six Walls (Mercer Island, WA). “I found some great new vendors, loved the layout of how showrooms were located, felt it was easy to navigate around, and I was able to make good use of my time at the show.”

Accelerated buyer growth was also seen in international traffic, which increased by nearly 50% among gift and home buyers over the previous winter market. As reported last month, visitors traveled from 74 countries from around the globe, representing North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Detailed analysis indicates that traffic from Latin America nearly doubled, with numbers of buyers from Brazil, the Pacific Rim, Canada, Mexico and Africa also dramatically increasing.

Ricardo Avila Gomez, an interior designer from Colombia, said, “I found excellent providers/suppliers that were very difficult for me to find at other shows. It was also great to be able to network with other designers from Mexico, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.”

Showroom tenants and temporary exhibitors were pleased with these increases in attendance, which for many led to record sales and additional excitement created by national and international traffic growth. Harlan Kent, CEO of Yankee Candle Company, said “We are really encouraged by what we are seeing. The gift buyers are here and they are different gift buyers than we see at some of our other markets. I’m really excited to be here…We’re trying to push into the west coast, and this is the place to do it.”

GIFT+HOME at Las Vegas Market is a leading gift and home décor marketplace in the western U.S., presenting 800+ gift and home décor resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market features thousands of furniture, gift and home décor lines, allowing for cross-category commerce among the gift, furniture, home décor and accessory industries. The Summer 2013 Las Vegas Market runs July 29-August 2, 2013, at World Market Center Las Vegas. For more information, visit GiftandHomeLV.com.


About Las Vegas Market and International Market Centers, L.P.
Las Vegas Market is an international furnishings showcase that combines style, inspiration and productivity in an unrivaled, world-class destination. Situated on World Market Center Las Vegas’ state-of-the-art campus, Las Vegas Market features a comprehensive array of new product from thousands of leading manufacturers and lines in furniture, mattress, lighting, decorative accessories, floor coverings, home textiles and more—delivering Today’s Total Marketplace. Retailers and designers can shop product offerings from trend-setters in all home furnishings categories as well as benefit from complimentary educational, networking and hospitality events. With two markets each year, Las Vegas Market is the only major home furnishings market in the western U.S. offering a unique cross-section of suppliers and buyers spanning the home furnishings, décor and gift industries. For more information, visit www.lasvegasmarket.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 www.imcenters.com.