NYIGF readies SustainAbility segment

HTT Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 11/22/2010 3:06:00 PM

White Plains, N.Y. - The upcoming New York International Gift Fair will again throw the spotlight on sustainable design across a variety of product categories.

SustainAbility: design for a better world includes a juried exhibit of nearly 200 products, the Eco Choice Awards for eco-product innovation, and an educational series addressing sustainability and fair trade business practices. All SustainAbility activities will take place during the NYIGF Jan. 29, through Feb. 3, 2011, at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

A full SustainAbility participant list, including detailed product descriptions, will be available online, after Dec. 15, at http://nyigf.com/TheShow/Sustainability.aspx.

During market week, retailers will have the opportunity to cast Eco Choice Awards ballots for products deemed "Most Innovative," "Most Sensitive Use of Materials" and "Most Sellable." Voting will take place Sunday through Thursday in the SustainAbility display, with the winners announced at the conclusion of NYIGF. The awards, sponsored by NYIGF and GREENRetailer, recognize the most innovative, environmentally responsible products found within SustainAbility.

Two educational seminars at the Javits Center will also be part of the program. "It's Easy Being Green - Just Ask the Experts" will be held on Jan. 31, from 12:00-1:30pm. Members of NYIGF's SustainAbility Task Force will discuss environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible best practices. The panel, moderated Susan Szenasy, editor-in-chief of Metropolis Magazine, will include Enrico Bressan of Artecnica, designer Stephen Burks and Jaime Salm of MIO.

On Feb. 1, Carmen Iezzi, executive director of the Fair Trade Federation, will lead a panel discussion, "Demystifying Fair Trade," from 12:00 -1:30 p.m. In addition to covering the basics of Fair Trade, the session will address the benefits of selling high-quality products with tremendous societal and cultural impact. Tickets for both sessions are $20 advance and $25 onsite. Advance registration is available online at www.nyigf.com/programs.