NEW YORK–For many furniture, lighting and decorative accessories vendors, the Big Apple is the place to be, especially in August.
For this edition of the New York International Gift Fair and its At Home division at piers 92 and 94, vendors said they have readied more on-trend goods and are hoping for a strong turnout, despite the weak economy.
NYIGF’s At Home division presents 500 hard lines for home, which includes furniture, lighting and decorative accessories, at piers 92 and 94. Organizers maintain that the size of this division and the scope of its offerings—from traditional to contemporary and indoor to outdoor—equals that offered by many home shows. This August, organizers have continued to refine and expand the furniture and furnishings, while welcoming back a number of leading suppliers to the show, said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and senior vice president at GLM. “We are committed to continued growth of this category,” she stated.
Uttermost, which showed in New York for many years in the past and pulled out a few years ago, is returning to Pier 94 with six booths this August, said Mac Cooper, company president.
“This change is the result of the retirement of our previous local reps and the addition of new representatives in the area who are capable of supporting this show with great enthusiasm and energy,” Cooper said.
Uttermost will show mirrors, lamps, art, accessories, clocks and accent furniture—basically all of its products except lighting fixtures.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be returning to New York and seeing many of our customers we haven’t seen in person for several years,” Cooper told HFN.
Meanwhile, devoted long-term exhibitors continue to gain valuable contacts and generate significant sales and sales leads at the show.
“We’ve participated for over 15 years now and it is the most important trade show that we do in terms of sales and sheer volume of customer contact,” said Michael Whitton, vice president, wholesale, for Jonathan Adler.
At the gift fair, Adler shows ceramic vases and decorative accessories, textiles, lighting, floor coverings, bath accessories and furniture, and according to Whitton, “This is the largest and most complete representation of our line that we present at any show.”
For this edition, Whitton expects “a great show. Our assortment is extremely strong, and even in tough times people need new merchandise. Since times are a bit tough right now, I’d expect that buyers will try to accomplish as much as possible in a single show—and New York has so much to offer.”
Roberta Schilling, principal of Roberta Schilling Collection and Moderna by Roberta Schilling, agreed. A NYIGF exhibitor for the past nine of the company’s 11 years in business, Schilling said, “We love showing there. It is a great energy show; high traffic and great sales. We always try to introduce in New York our most exciting items, whatever is really fresh and edgy, because we know the crowd there will ‘get it.’ ”
The show’s location is a strong point, too.
“NYIGF is really the only major gift show in the Northeast, which makes it necessary for companies to show there in order to gain exposure to customers in that region,” said Steffan Craig, marketing manager for Timeworks, an exhibitor since 1997. He noted that, “In the past 10 years, show attendance by buyers has become much more concentrated and regional. We find that even in major markets like New York, those buyers are less likely to travel to other areas to attend trade shows than in the past.”
Timeworks will be showing a little more transitional look than it is known for, he added.
NYIGF’s reputation for on-trend merchandise continues to attract buyers and new exhibitors alike.
“The New York show tends to have trendier product lines and exhibitors, and it is a great city, so the overall experience is very fun and lively,” said Deb Olson, managing partner, Gro-Well Brands/Woods and Willow, a relative newcomer to the show. Woods and Willow, a home and garden decor wholesaler based in Belgium, formed a relationship with Gro-Well Brands, an established lawn and garden distributor, to launch its line in the United States. Woods and Willow made its U.S. debut in January in Atlanta and Dallas temporaries.
“There was such an overwhelming response that we very quickly decided to exhibit in NY Pier 92 in February 2008. Although we heard that traffic in New York did not appear to be as strong as the previous seasons, we still had quite a strong show,” Olson said.
Having hired rep groups throughout the country, the company feels New York “will continue to be our second most successful trade show” after Atlanta, Olson said.
“We are expecting to build our customer base with new leads in independent home, garden and gift stores. Our main concern is the impact the economy may have on the show traffic,” she added. “We feel that our line is very charming and has a unique European point of view. It is very competitively priced and we offer value that we believe will attract new customers during a very difficult period in the retail industry.”
This sentiment was echoed from long-term vendors and newbies alike, as New York will be up against the economic challenges facing all retailers, vendors and trade shows.
“If the customers aren’t there, you can’t write the orders,” pointed out Timeworks’ Craig. — Nancy Meyer