Retailers in search of tabletop gifts will have plenty to choose from in expanded and enhanced venues in New York this month.
The Tabletop division of the New York International Gift Fair has been refined and reorganized to include a purer concentration of specialty tabletop resources, a new layout of the exhibit hall and an influx of new and returning suppliers to the marketplace, according to GLM, which owns and operates the show.
Adjacent to the tabletop section this year is the Gourmet Housewares Show, while across town, the permanent showrooms at Forty One Madison and 7 W New York will be open for business.
“The breadth and depth of our specialty tabletop resources will increase dramatically this August,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “The introduction of The Gourmet Housewares Show to NYIGF this summer allows us to better categorize tabletop and housewares resources, and construction in the Javits Center’s 3A and 3B Halls provides an opportunity to create a dynamic new floor plan for this division.”
The Tabletop division’s new layout positions Michael Aram, Vietri and Vagabond House at the entry, and Kim Seybert, Juliska, Bodrum and Mariposa in key up-front locations. Several other vendors within the Tabletop and Accent on Design divisions have been repositioned to create groupings of industry leaders.
Gift Fair newcomers include Belleek Pottery, Make International, Mottahedeh and Romanov Collection, while several brands have returned to the Fair following a hiatus from the market. They include Dartington Crystal, Royal Copenhagen and tag. Royal Copenhagen also has a permanent showroom at Forty One Madison, while tag has permanent space at 7 W.
More than 30 Forty One Madison showrooms will be open during the Gift Fair. “So many new showrooms have opened at Forty One since the winter edition of the Gift Show, and among them are brands that gift show attendees will want to be sure to see,” said Laurie Burns, Forty One Madison’s Senior Vice President Director. “What’s more,” she added, “the showrooms that are open for the Gift Show have the type of product assortments and opening minimums that gift buyers are looking for.”—Allison Zisko