Las Vegas market changes dates, adds shows

By Heath E. Combs -- Home Textiles Today, 12/28/2009 1:07:00 PM

Las Vegas — World Market Center officials announced today that they are moving the summer 2010 Las Vegas Market back about a month to Aug. 2-6.

The move, which comes a year after the WMC pushed its summer market dates to mid-September, is part of an effort by WMC officials to create two "mega-markets" a year.

WMC's mega-markets concept integrates a home furnishings market as an anchor event with other industry-associated events. Such mega-markets will be designed to attract a broad range of buyers and optimize sales opportunities for businesses, WMC officials said in a press release.

This coming summer, the Las Vegas Market will overlap the WMC's Gift + Home show and Vegas Kids juvenile furnishings show, which will now both be held Aug. 4-7. The gift and kids shows had previously been set for June 13-16.

The Aug. 4-7 dates will include a weekend, which market officials said is important to independent gift retailers.

WMC said it plans to hold its summer market in years beyond 2010 during a similar late July/early August time frame.

WMC also set its winter market dates for 2011 for Jan. 24-28, which will overlap the Surfaces floor coverings show at the Sands Convention and Expo Center and the WMC's InspireDesign hospitality design show.

The release said WMC plans to hold its future winter markets during a similar late January/early February date.

"Our ‘mega-market' approach, combined with the new summer and winter Las Vegas Market dates, represent an innovative new way to add value for our partners and empower businesses to increase their profitability in this new economy," said WMC President and CEO Robert Maricich.

"This diversified model clearly meets the industry's need to cost-effectively generate new leads and sales by promoting cross-category activity among complementary industry sectors," he added.

WMC said in the release its new dates had broad support from its advisory board.

The new schedule should reduce potential industry conflicts, allowing businesses to concentrate on the market, the release said. The Las Vegas Market's decision last year from July to September raised concerns among exhibitors who showed in both Vegas and High Point, whose fall market is in October.

This year, the September Vegas dates overlapped the High Point Premarket.