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Direct from Market: Las Vegas

Caroline Kennedy -- Gifts and Dec, 8/7/2011 4:29:51 PM

World Market Center

K & K Interiors

Evergreen Enterprises

Onecoast

The Las Vegas Market continues to grow. It is no longer just a "furniture market." With more manufacturers and sales rep organizations opening showrooms and taking exhibit space in the temporary area, the gift and home décor element is a growing force that is attracting buyers from the western region as well as from elsewhere across the country.

Yankee Candle, Couronne Company, Ohio Wholesale/Kennedy's Country Collection, Ganz and Melrose continue to have a significant presence in the temporaries. They have been joined by Aurora, Ty, Stephen Joseph, Precious Moments, Annaleece by DeVries and Ne'Qwa, among others.

New showrooms were a big attraction for buyers as well. Joining established showroom exhibitors, such as Midwest-CBK, Demdaco/Silvestri, Homestyle, C&F Enterprises, Andrea by Sadek and Two's Company in Building C, are Onecoast, K&K Interiors and Imagine That! And Evergreen Enterprises moved to a new larger showroom space right off the escalators on the 8th floor. Evergreen's COO John Toler was on hand for the ribbon-cutting officially opening the space. Tom Steinmetz, Evergreen's director of sales, was pleased with the new location, noting that being right off the escalators was a definite plus, not to mention the abundance of natural light that comes in from the hall windows. Both Evergreen and Onecoast co-hosted a buyers' lounge between their showrooms with snacks and tables to sit at and relax or do paperwork, and encouraged their customers to visit each other's showrooms. This is one just example that we have witnessed more recently of vendors working together more for the benefit of all concerned: themselves, their customers and the market as a whole.

Some small finishing touches were still being put on the Onecoast showroom when we first visited. It is no easy feat to plan and set up a brand new showroom in the midst of a busy trade show season, especially in three weeks! But the Onecoast space is well laid out and easy to navigate with each brand given its own identifiable defined area, yet the total look flows and is cohesive. John Keiser ceremoniously cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of the space. He noted that they had opened a number of new accounts, including some by furniture buyers.

Debbie Jo Spencer was enthusiastic about her new Imagine That! showroom, off the escalators on the 7th floor. Spencer has picked up some new lines, which were attracting buyer interest, including Icon Reno RoseHonor recipient Welcome Home Brands, the innovative paper bakeware line, and Pirose Fashion by Reno Rose, an clever accessory that is not a scarf or a shawl, but can be worn in multiple creative ways for different fashion looks. Welcome Home's Sam Sheppard noted how receiving the Icon Honor had created more awareness of his line and his display had prominent signage touting the brand's Icon award.

Event Highlights

On Monday evening, a fund-raiser was held to benefit Gift for Life. It was held on the Skyview Terrace on the 16th floor of Building B, which looks out over Las Vegas skyline and beyond - a perfect setting at the end of the day, although the temperature was quite warm, to say the least. The event, sponsored by World Market Center, Las Vegas Gift + Home and the GHTA, attracted more than 450 party-goers for cocktails, networking and hors d'oeuvres and raised more than $10,000 for Gift for Life.

Tuesday evening was the highly anticipated speech by former President Bill Clinton. Clinton attracted a reported audience of around 10,000; however, exact numbers were hard to tell because of the size of the pavilion. Mr. Clinton immediately engaged the assembly with a personal note about his family'shopping habits that brought chuckles from the

Alexas Angels

audience .He quipped, "We personally have tried to do our best to offset the recession in home furnishings!" Clinton spoke on a variety of topics, including the debt ceiling, the economy and sustainability, after which he fielded presubmitted questions from Bob Maricich, CEO of International Market Centers. For a full report on his address, click here.

Product Highlights

This year, Alexas' Angels has introduced the first of an annual collection of angel necklaces. There will be a new angel necklace introduced each year to collect and treasure. The company is also having great success with its newly introduced stretchy bracelet bands, which can also be used as ponytail bands.Home Source Intl.

Home Source Intl., known primarily for its luxurious bamboo fabric bedding and linens, introduced its first sleepwear collection, "The Vintage Collection" of Serenity Dreamwear. There are two styles to begin with, made of the same soft, luxurious bamboo fabric as its bedding linens. There are 12 color combinations and all are handmade in the U.S.A. The bias-cut tunics are machine-washable and chic enough to be worn over leggings as casual daywear.

SnapRetail www.snapretail.com is introducing a new service - SnapFinds, a deal site. SnapFinds will promote special product deals from vendors that will help bring customers into participating retailers' stores. Rennie & Rose

Rennie & Rose showcased a new collection of Frank Lloyd Wright licensed designs on tapestry pillows, table runners and placemats. The company also introduced a Susan Sargent pillow collection featuring embroidery designs on cotton appliqué.

Moonlight & Roses brought its charming vintage ephemera designs on greeting cards, wall clocks, magnets, sign boards and wall art to Vegas. New to the line are children's growth charts featuring vintage storybook illustrations.

Bring a little of the beach into the home with glass ball ornaments, shadowboxes and other accessories from Sand-Deco. The collection features cast sand frames and beach themed still lifes with shells, coral and other sealife elements.

New exhibitor Lil'Basket Case offered a little tongue-in-cheek humor in entertaining accessories and linens -- aprons, tea towels and fabric coasters. Booth mate Wine Stave Designs takes old wine casks and recycles the staves into attractive candleholder centerpieces that are rustic, yet sophisticated at the same time.They can also be used for floral arrangements

Seeds of HappinessEverybody needs something to smile about, especially these days. Seeds of Happiness does just that. These small lumps of clay are shaped into engaging smiling faces to keep and share with others. Larger versions can sit on a counter or desktop to smile at you and for you to smile back - after all, smiles are infectious. The company has also put these faces on t-shirts and caps.

Gourmet food products also had a small but stand-out presence. Offerings ranged from chocolates and candies from Michele's Chocolate Truffles, Spokandy and Torn Ranch to dessert and cooking sauces from Sweet & Saucy to salsas from Texas Ranger Foods. For cocktail hour, Davis & Davis introduced wine dip mixes to pair perfectly with the wine being served; and from New Zealand, NZNG introduced fruit pastes to be paired with cheese and crackers. Two exhibitors offered different takes on sea salt: Sea Salt Superstore offered a range of exotic salts from around the world and San Felipe Salt Co. presented a selection of natural and flavored salts in a refillable salt grinder bottle.

Gettting Personal

In personal care, we encountered some resources new to Las Vegas and others new to the gift market. Do Not Disturb made its Vegas debut and continues to offer consumers a relaxing spa experience at home with its lavender based pampering accessories.

Morgan Avery offered a range of different gift basket sets perfect for holiday and special occasion gifting filled with lotions, candles and other personal care items. They are perfect for in-store sales as well as drop-shipping.

Objects with Purpose presented a two-fer - a candle that also is good for your skin. The coconunt-based wax burns at a low temperature, making it a soothing body butter.

LaScentsationals' herbal wellness pillows showcased aromatherapy pillows. These attractive pillows are covered in organic cotton and filled with a combination of different herbs to soothe, relax, energize and/or relieve.

The Las Vegas Market Gift + Home is continuing to grow both in the number of exhibitors, as well as buyers attending the market, reflecting the efforts of the leasing and marketing teams. But attendance and exhibits mean nothing if business is not written and new accounts not opened, which is not the case this market. In the showrooms, as well as in the temporaries, the overall reports were quite positive, with sales being good and a number of established exhibitors reporting sales up.

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