By David Gill
The opening of Building C at this week’s Las Vegas Market is expected to elevate the presence of home textiles vendors at the market.
Several vendors have moved to the new building for this week’s market from the pavilions or the MGM Grand. They have taken either temporary space on the fifth floor, in the ConText juried-show section, or in permanent showroom space.
The opening of the new building has raised expectations on the market for some vendors. “The fifth floor will be design-driven and we’re moving much more into custom designers,” said Mary Rath, president of Cotton Belle, which will have two spaces in Building C—one on the fifth floor for its top-of-the-bed products and curtains, the other on the 14th floor for its futons.
“I think I’ll see new customers,” Rath said. “I think more designers will come into the new building, and to me, the fifth floor specifically and the building in general bring excitement to the retailers as well.”
Building C has afforded textiles vendors the opportunity to bolster their Las Vegas presence, which has become important for those that have boosted their business through exhibiting at the market. “We’ve been at the show since the beginning of it, and we’ve added accounts there,” said Donna McLin, director of sales and marketing for Down Inc., which will also be in the ConText space. “It’s been more of a regional show for us with the exception of presence of furniture stores, and these stores have seen the value of adding down comforters, pillows and blankets to their assortments.”
The fifth-floor temporary space has also provided an option for vendors leery of making the investment in a permanent showroom. Shamiana, as “a small and humble company, won’t make a commitment yet,” said Hersha Lodhia, manager of the company, also slated for the fifth-floor space. “However, I am willing to share a space with someone who is cutting-edge in home furnishings, willing to take risks on design. I just feel that to be conservative on that kind of investment, the best thing would be to make a marriage with someone.”
Cost was a key factor for Bella Notte in deciding to show in the fifth-floor temporary area. “We find [the Las Vegas show] a bit costly compared to other shows,” said Bob Gunnell, Bella Notte’s chief financial officer. “The jury is still out whether or not the Las Vegas show is a big help to our business. We do add new accounts through this show, but these same customers may also go to the New York [Gift Fair] and Atlanta shows.”
Temporary spaces have other advantages. “I think Building C is going to be a great location,” said Cathy Stemmler, sales manager for SDH. “They have devoted some of the floors to temporary space, which always drives up the traffic to the building. Our neighbors are mostly high-end exhibitors, so the building is going to have a great mix of products.” SDH has, in fact, taken a permanent showroom in room 684 of the new building.
For the World Market Center, the new building is another step in its efforts to increase the textiles presence at Las Vegas Market, among other goals. “Building C has generated more interest from textile companies and, of course, has allowed us to continue to grow this category,” said Dana Andrew, vice president of marketing and public relations for World Market Center.
Andrew also said World Market Center wants to keep the momentum going in the textiles area “at this market and beyond. Consider that Las Vegas is practically the home of the mattress market, and with our growth in the furniture category, textiles is a natural extension for us. In particular, we have a very nice representation of specialty-store lines and believe we can attract more mass merchant-oriented lines as we continue to grow into Building D.”
In February, World Market Center announced the construction on Building D would begin this fall, with completion scheduled for 2010.