HFPA Sets Market Dates

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 7/26/2005 10:51:00 AM

NEW YORK -- The Home Fashions Product Association (HFPA) has set new dates for the home textiles market beginning in August 2006, representing a major shift in timing from the traditional April and October showroom market events.

The first market under the new time frame will begin Friday, Aug. 4 and continue through Thursday, Aug. 9. Subsequent August markets will begin on the first Friday of August, according to Frank Foley, president of THE HFPA and CEO of CHF Industries.

For the first half of 2006, the HFPA will hold its showroom market dates in tandem with the New York Home Textiles Show, which is being held at the Jacob Javits Center from March 31 through April 3. The HFPA will also hold the Winter Mini-Market in 2006 from Feb. 5 to 8.

The April market will be changed to February beginning with the 2007 event, which will begin on Feb. 2, Foley said.

The change has been under consideration for some time, Foley explained, with the unofficial Mini-Markets in February and August proposed as more suitable dates for major markets to meet today’s retailing requirements.

“The current Mini-Market timing -- February and August -- will become the major markets. It fits the international product development and production timeline required to mesh with current retail rollout schedules,” he said.