DoubleTake: Retailer Excellence Awards Gala
By Staff -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 8/29/2008 9:41:00 AM
New York — Out-shining the lights of NYC’s Times Square were the gift industry’s best and brightest, as they gathered at the Marriott Marquis for Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ 57th annual Retailer Excellence Awards Gala. The gala was held on Sunday evening, August 17, during the New York International Gift Fair. Representatives from across all aspects of the gift industry — trade show and mart managers, manufacturers and vendors, sales rep organizations and retailers — all came together to share in applauding the evening’s honorees.
The bright lights of Times Square provided a very New York backdrop for the cocktail hour, during which the guests mingled with each other and got to meet the Retailer Excellence Award finalists and other Industry honorees. Anticipation was high; who would take home the REA Gold Awards? Everyone would have to wait until after dinner for the answer, when the envelope would be opened for the presenter to announce, “And the winner is… .”
The evening’s program was opened by G&DA’s publisher, Nancy Wolkow, who welcomed everyone and warmed up the assembled crowd with a series of trivia answers and asked what year they all related to. The answer that evoked the correct year was: The Olympic Games were held in Helsinki. The year? 1952 — the same year that the very first Retailer Excellence Awards event was held.
Nancy Wolkow then turned the podium over the Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ editor-in-chief Caroline Kennedy, who began by congratulating all the honorees. She also noted that the evening was also another cause for celebration, as among the guests were retailer Elaine Barker of Paper Potpourri in Massachusetts, and her husband Joseph who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. She then introduced the first of the evening’s presenters to start show.
The evening is always an inspiring experience and this year was no different. We always come away having learning something from each other. This year, we learned a new word — co-opitition. The term was imparted by Sue Sacks of Options Gallery, to describe the relationship among the Healdsburg retailers group, which can be defined as cooperative competition. The Healdsburg Retailers won the REA Gold Award for Marketing Achievement.
It was a memorable evening for all — winners, finalists, honorees and guests. We hope that you will be a part of the festivities next year. To experience more of the evening's flavor, view Photo Gallery here.
Photos: Tony David Photography
