2012 Icon Honors goes for more ‘wow'

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 11/18/2011 3:12:54 PM

Atlanta - The 2012 Icon Honors, set for next July in Atlanta, and recognizing innovation and accomplishment in the gift and home industry, promises to be an even more "transformative" event, according to AmericasMart Atlanta president Jeff Portman, who announced initial details recently.

"We want to create an iconic American-type moment that celebrates our roots and also celebrates the future of where we are going. I'm really excited about how we're going to transform this event, making it crisper and cleaner, with a program that is dynamic and relevant to this industry. And have fun, too," he said.

AmericasMart created the Icon Honors in 2009, in partnership with the Gift and Home Trade Association. Sandow Media, parent company to Home Textiles Today, joined as a co-sponsor for the 2011 event, which was held this past July and was attended by over 900 people during the summer Atlanta Market.

The 2012 Icon Honors will be held on July 14, 2012, in Atlanta. Specifics on the event are still forthcoming, but one big change will involve the simplification and timing of the entry process. Nominations will be accepted starting this month, four months earlier than the past, and all submissions will be handled online rather than through a printed form, via www.americasmarticonhonors.com. This will allow for earlier judging and provide time for video crews to put together visual presentations on the winners.

Portman said the use of videos will be a key component of next year's event, noting "I want to create a true theatrical performance set-up." Portman also said efforts will be made to encourage attendance among more retailers and smaller companies. "We want everyone in the industry to come and talk about it. Icon has been a very transformative moment in the gift and home industry. And if we don't do that, we haven't accomplished our job. We're going to raise the bar next year so that the one word people say when they walk into the Icon Honors will be ‘wow'."