N.Y. Market Dates 101

By Jennifer Marks, Editor-in-Chief -- Home Textiles Today, 11/12/2007 12:00:00 AM

The 2008 series of winter trade shows lies just around the corner, and predictably, we're fielding a lot of calls from confused people as far as the New York market weeks are concerned.

So, for the record, the name New York Home Textiles Market Week no longer refers to what many people think it does. After having been dropped by the Home Fashion Products Association, the handle was picked up by trade show organizer George Little Management.

New York Home Textiles Market Week is an umbrella term that applies to all home textiles suppliers showing at the Javits Center during the New York International Gift Fair (Feb. 3-7), as well as home textiles suppliers in two showroom buildings taking part in New York Gift Week: 7 W. 34th Street (Jan. 31- Feb.7); and 230 Fifth Ave. (Feb.2-7).

What is colloquially still called “market week” now goes by the name New York Home Fashions Market. The volume-oriented, showroom-based event will take place Feb. 11-15. HTT's market kick-off party is set for Sunday, Feb. 10.

On a case-by-case basis, most of our queries are coming from volume retailers and showroom-based home textiles suppliers. I had three of them last week on Monday and Tuesday alone.

However, the confusion runs both ways. This past August, an independent specialty retailer phoned our office in tears because she discovered only after she flew into New York and headed over to the Javits Center that she'd booked herself into the wrong week.

I wish I could assure everyone this matter will soon be settled, but I don't see any signs of it. “New York Home Textiles Market Week” is now a trademarked property belonging a trade show company. It will never again be the name applied to the home textiles showroom week — unless the HFPA pulls its dates into sync with the New York Gift Fair. At this juncture, I'm not wagering that it will.

That is why, beginning this week, every issue leading up to the two New York events will contain a box on page 1 alerting readers to which market is which. Similarly, subscribers to HTT Extra, our free daily email newsletter, will see each day an item titled New York Market Clarification.

We hope it helps. But if you're still confused, please don't hesitate to call. We're used to it.