Industry News

New York — A national gift trade show to be established as a non-profit venture by the Gift and Home Trade Association (GHTA) may be a reality by 2010, if that organization's board is successful in its plan. According to Stuart Miller of Goodwin Weavers and GHTA treasurer, letters were sent to George Little Management, AmericasMart Atlanta, Dallas Market Center, Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., and other show managers, notifying them of the plan. Citing a decline in retail attendance at shows in recent years, Miller said, “This business is changing and we have to change with it.” (From a report in Home Accents Today.)

Elgin, IL — Precious Moments Inc. (PMI), Elgin, IL, and Carthage, MO, named Byron Norfleet president and chief executive. Norfleet comes from the Brown Shoe Company where he was president of Naturalizer, with responsibility for its 340-store specialty retail chain. “I'm delighted to join the PMI team,” said Norfleet. “I'm already impressed by the talent and dedication of our associates, and I look forward to meeting many of our retailers during upcoming markets.”

Chicago — Merchandise Mart Properties (MMPI) appointed Craig Dooley to the new position of vice president of marketing, gift and home. Dooley will direct all marketing efforts for MMPI's 20 seasonal gift and home shows in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. He will report to Joan Ulrich, senior vice president of leasing and marketing. Over the past years, Dooley has been providing strategic planning services to MMPI through the company he founded, Fact-Driven LLC. “Craig has already added tremendous value to our business and customers,” said Ulrich. “We're excited to have him driving our success in the industries we serve.”

San Jose, CA — The second largest online auction site in the United Kingdom, eBid (www.eBid.net), recently launched a U.S. website. The site claims to have hundreds of thousands of auction items in more than 3,500 product categories. The eBid U.S. launch followed an eight-month pilot program that attracted more than 10,000 U.S. buyers and sellers, according to the company. EBid was founded in 2000, and has sites in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the U.K. Sites are also planned for France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. Gary Sewell is co-founder and chief executive.

New Delhi — A permanent showroom building, the India Expo Centre & Mart, is slated to open next month in Noida, a suburb of New Delhi. The Centre features more than two million square feet of exhibition space, in addition to the showrooms. The concept for the project grew out of the activities of the Indian government's Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), producers of the semiannual Indian Handicrafts & Gift Fair, which will hold its first India Expo Centre event February 16–20, 2006.

High Point, NC — The International Home Furnishings Market Authority (IHFMA) announced the retirement of Judy Mendenhall as president. The authority has retained Korn/Ferry Intl., the executive research firm, to assist in recruiting a replacement. Also, the IHFMA voted to change market times to late March and late September, running Mondays through Thursdays, starting with the September 25–October 1, 2006, event. The next High Point furniture and accessories market will open on Thursday, April 27, 2006, as previously scheduled.

Edison, NJ — Ed Coleman, president and chief operating officer of fragrance and beauty products company Caswell-Massey Ltd., appointed Edward W. Ras as vice president of wholesale, responsible for expanding the brand into chain stores and specialty retailers. Ras comes from Colart Americas, a manufacturer and distributor of fine art supplies.

New York — Spanish porcelain manufacturer Lladró appointed Safa Hummel chief executive of Lladró North America. Fernando Gallego, current chief executive, has returned to the company's Valencia headquarters, where he will become Lladró's director of worldwide operations. Hummel comes from Christofle.