Spirits remain high
Despite the dark cloud hanging over the economy and anything to do with houses in particular, spirits were high and optimism was plentiful during last week’s home-furnishings trade show at World Market Center Las Vegas.
Although opening-day attendance among buyers and designers was down 2 percent from last January’s market, WMC officials were optimistic that the latter part of the event would attract more people, who were arriving later in the week and extending their stays in the city for Valentine’s Day and the President’s Day weekend.
Their theory seemed correct as hallways, showrooms and the parking garage were busier Wednesday than they were Monday and Tuesday.
Additionally, the market continues to attract attention from new sources. Attendance figures revealed 6,527 buyers and others visiting for the first time. Among those was noted interior designer Joe Nye, who was one of the featured panelists for the Ahead of the Curve trend design seminar. He said he was very pleased with what he saw throughout the World Market Center and how easy it was to navigate his way through the campus’ three buildings.
“The convenience of being able to stay in a tight campus is easier and more collectively efficient because you can see more, faster,” he said.
Some exhibitors said they were pleased with the attendance, which was expected to be extremely low given the current economic situation.
“We’re just shocked at how good the show has been. We expected it to be quiet,” said Jennifer Sheridan, national sales manager for C & F Enterprises, which is based in Newport News, Va.
The first-time exhibitor said everyone she met was upbeat and there was no hesitation when it came to ordering. Half of their customers were new.
Sheridan said the market was a good opportunity for the company to expose its products to those in the furnishings industry. C & F, which offers top-of-the-bed accessories and gifts, had never really worked with furniture retailers or manufacturers before.
Others, however, were disappointed by the attendance, including Russell Ortiz of the San Clemente, Calif.-based Shine. Early Tuesday, Ortiz said he didn’t see the traffic he expected and wasn’t sure if that was due to the economy, his location on the second floor of Building B or the market itself.
In addition to attracting new buyers, there were several new exhibitors to the trade show.
“We had over 100 exhibitors here for the first time and buyers were just blown away with the exciting showrooms and new products that were introduced — many of which can only be seen in Las Vegas,” said Robert Maricich, president and chief executive officer of World Market Center, Las Vegas.
“We’re glad to be here,” said Lenwood Rich, president and chief executive officer of Drexel Heritage, one of four Furniture Brands International divisions that made its debut in Las Vegas.
“We have a lot of customers in the western part of the United States and we wanted to come where our customers are,” Rich said of the decision to open a showroom at World Market Center. “We’re seeing retailers and designers who don’t normally come to High Point (N.C.). We’re also seeing customers who only go to High Point once a year. This is a great opportunity to expose our brand to so many more different people because it’s all in one area. … We’re reaching so many people who may not be aware of Drexel. They can actually see and touch it now. It’s great for all our brands.”
Dan Bradley, president of Henredon, also a Furniture Brands company, agreed. “Many buyers are saying they’re glad to see us here. Yesterday we had lots of new prospects coming through the door. In September our plan is to bring in new products.”
Maricich said the new exhibitors at the February market show the vital role the Las Vegas campus is playing in the home-furnishings industry.
“I’m hopeful in the next couple of months that we’ll add a couple more very, very impactful, big-name tenants. I think it just speaks to the point that we’ve reached a critical mass. It sends the message that if you want to be a national marketer of furnishings, you’ve got to have a presence at World Market Center Las Vegas,” he said.
