In with the New

It's a new day at World Market Center Las Vegas. A new date, new products, a new campaign to engage consumers and renewed enthusiasm highlighted the inaugural fall market held last week at the downtown facility.

Despite worries by some industry insiders that the switch from July to September might discourage both buyers and manufacturers because of its proximity to a similar show in High Point, N.C., the Las Vegas event fared well.

"I was excited by our September Las Vegas Market and encouraged by the tremendous showing in this very difficult period for the home-furnishings industry. We drove optimism with our events and encouraged manufacturers to 'play to win' by introducing great new products as well as providing compelling promotions. All this effort led to retailers and designers buying and virtually left everyone with a sense of fulfillment," said Robert Maricich, president and CEO of World Market Center Las Vegas. "I believe that we will look back as an industry and view this show as a turning point in this recession."

Although exact attendance figures are not released by World Market Center, officials are reporting that registration numbers are higher than they've been during the past five markets and the number of international manufacturers showing their wares doubled from the previous event in February.

"It's quite remarkable that we have generated an increase in buyer and designer registration in this economic environment," Maricich said.

In the past, market officials have said an average of about 50,000 people attend the biannual event.

The show moved to September from July after surveys showed attendees -- both buyers and vendors -- preferred the fall dates.

Additionally, the market was shortened by one day, allowing companies to reduce their expenses. Because the trade show campus houses all of the manufacturers' showrooms in one location, survey respondents said they could do more business in less time.

Maricich said that 94 percent of the 1,400 exhibitors displayed new products during the market. In addition to being new, many of the products are available for immediate shipments to retailers, a necessity as they cope with depleted inventories.

"Inventories in the entire furnishings pipeline are at unprecedented lows, and any retail activity will flow through the entire supply chain," Maricich said. "In light of these conditions, our first September market has turned into the 'perfect storm' of timely supply meets enthusiastic demand."

Rob Sligh, chairman of Sligh/Loft 102, said he and other exhibitors were on the lookout for new beginnings.

"Difficult market conditions forced dealers and all of us to develop creative ways of generating profitable sales. In many cases retail inventories are finally depleted. Dealers are buying into fresh ideas, and are ready to sail out of the doldrums and into a freshening breeze," Sligh said.

Dan Bradley, president of Henredon, said he has seen that hunger firsthand, with an increased number of appointments to see the showroom, where a few new collections were displayed.

Even though he didn't see the crowds he hoped to see, Ken Koewn of Lion and Offray Ribbon said he believes in the Las Vegas market and that buyers of items other than furniture and traditional home accents will return once the economy improves.

"There are two reasons to go to market. One is to spend money and the other is to get creative ideas," he said adding that this is the place to do both.

In conjunction with the home-furnishings trade show, World Market Center Las Vegas declared September the start of the first National Home Furnishings Month and the launch of the "Is It Home Yet?" campaign's www.homeyet.com, as a way of encouraging consumer spending.

The monthly observance includes a key retail period, Sept. 19-27, when retailers are encouraged to offer special sales to take advantage of consumer interest generated by the campaign.

Monica Pederson, designer on HGTV's "Designed to Sell" and the spokesperson for National Home Furnishings Month said the "Is it Home Yet?" campaign is derived from the very question that industry insiders ask. "As designers we go into peoples' houses and we make their house a home. 'Is it home yet?' is the question we ask," she said. "When they say yes I know I have done my job."