AmericasMart merges three markets in October

HTT Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 9/26/2011 1:47:19 PM

Atlanta - The AmericasMart here has aligned three of its major fall markets -- the Gift & Home Furnishings, the Gourmet, and the Apparel markets - for the first time ever.

The idea is to produce "a one-stop shopping experience allowing retailers and buyers to discover categories outside their traditional merchandise fields," said the AmericasMart. The markets will cover about 400,000 square feet of area rug products, 600,000 square feet of home furnishings, fine linens and accessories, and 500,000 square feet of holiday, floral and home décor.

The markets are scheduled Oct. 13 to 17: the Apparel market from Oct. 13-17, with Temporaries Oct. 13-16; and the Gift & Home Furnishings and the Gourmet markets from Oct. 14 to 16.

Atlanta Magazine will be hosting the Keynote Panel Luncheon. Dubbed "Southern Charmed: The Benefits to Business in the South," the panel will feature experts in the Southern home, gift, gourmet and apparel industries. Panelists include: apparel designers and retailers, Sid and Ann Mashburn; noted interior designer Bob Brown; style editor, co-founder of Paper-Cut Project and author of Recipe for Press, Amy Flurry; founder and editor of Bearings, Jeremy Blume, and celebrity chef Linton Hopkins. The luncheon is scheduled for Oct. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Building 3, Floor 15, Fashion Penthouse.

There will also be a lineup of educational seminars, events and entertainment during the market dates. The AmericasMart will announce the schedule before the market kicks off.