Looking Ahead to Las Vegas

Las Vegas —While the new World Market Center here is preparing for its inaugural home furnishings show in July, the complex's developer already foresees the dedication of a permanent home textiles building on the site that would address the needs of both the hospitality/contract segment and retail.

“We are programming the center to be a year-round, one-stop destination for buyers,” said Shawn Samson, managing partner. “In the global economy, the idea that buyers come together simply one time a year or two times a year is outdated.”

In the meantime, through its alliance with Heimtextil manager Messe Frankfurt, the World Market Center expects to debut Interior Lifestyle USA as part of the inaugural show scheduled to be held from July 25 to 29.

Messe Frankfurt has set a goal of bringing 200 exhibitors from the Heimtextil and Ambiente shows, according to Daniel McKinnon, Messe's Atlanta-based executive director of domestic trade shows.

The exhibitors are being juried in three tiers to ensure that they are design-driven and hit a certain quality level.

Said McKinnon: “We don't want the mills from China to come over to sell thousands of yards of fabric. That's not what this show is about.”

The concept behind the show — and the market center itself — is to house the most creative suppliers of home furnishings design, Samson said. It is not being established as a price-point bazaar.

“Buyers said they wanted something fresh, different and new,” he added. “When we asked what they considered out-of-the-box, they pointed to the shows in Europe.”

Indeed, the market center is working to bring more international design points of view into the facility — whether in the permanent showrooms or in the temporary exhibit spaces. The partnership with Messe Frankfurt “is just the tip of the iceberg,” Samson said. The center plans to announce additional alliances going forward.