Las Vegas Market Announces Partnerships with Nearly 50 Leading Retail & Trade Groups

Furniture World News Desk on 7/9/2019

Las Vegas Market announced today that it has extended its affiliation with industry organizations to include two new partners – Fair Trade Federation (FTF) and the Independent College Bookstore Association (ICBA) – for Summer 2019 Las Vegas Market, running July 28 – Aug. 1, 2019. Las Vegas Market offers a host of special programming, tours, educational opportunities, networking events and other membership activities for nearly 50 retail and trade organizations from across the globe.

“Las Vegas Market is proud to partner with the industry’s leading trade and retail organizations to offer programming and events that are important to their members,” said Karen Olson, senior vice president of marketing for International Market Centers. “As the leading home furnishings and gift market in the western U.S., Las Vegas Market is an ideal stage to connect professionals from associations, buying groups and non-profits with industry-leading suppliers who exhibit in Las Vegas.”

Two New Partners Coming to Summer Market

The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a membership organization of businesses who practice 360-degree fair trade. The trade association strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to fair trade and as part of the global fair trade movement, builds equitable and sustainable trading partnerships and creates opportunities to alleviate poverty. While it represents retail stores, more than a dozen vendor members also are represented at Las Vegas Market. During Market, FTF will participate in two educational programs.

The Independent College Bookstore Association (ICBA) was started in 1927 to provide education, networking, and vendor programs that empower college stores to remain independent and be both financially and operationally successful. The organization provides industry-wide opportunities to complement a store's local expertise and insight, with the goal of exceeding the expectations of customers and the institution. ICBA college store members represent $1.8 billion in sales in more than 230 member stores in the United States and Canada. During Market, ICBA will participate in one Las Vegas Market educational program.

Gift and Non-Profit Retail Associations Host At-Market Networking and Educational Events

For Summer Market, Las Vegas Market will again host the Non-Profit Retail Symposium in collaboration with three major non-profit industry associations - Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals (AHVRP), Museum Store Association (MSA) and Zoo & Aquarium Buyers Group (ZAG). As part of the symposium, the Non-Profit Retail Networking Reception will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, in the Pavilion 1 Seminar Room. Existing and prospective association members and vendors are welcome to network with non-profit retail experts from across the country. Those interested can RSVP at http://imcenters.nprreclvmjul19.sgizmo.com/s3/.

Additionally, The Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resources Professionals (AHVRP), Fair Trade Federation (FTF), Museum Store Association (MSA) and Zoo & Aquarium Buyers Group (ZAG) will present Protect Independent Stores with Retail Leadership from 4 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 28. The educational seminar will be moderated by Chris Solt, executive director of FTF, with MSA panelist Colleen Higginbotham of Chrysler Museum of Art, ZAG panelists David Whitaker of North Carolina Zoo Society and Michael Davis of Zootique at Cameron Park Zoo.

The Fair Trade Federation will present Fair Trade – Setting a Legitimate Ethical Standard for Business from 2 to 3 p.m. on Monday, July 29. The session will provide an overview of fair trade principles, code of practice, issues in the fair trade movement and the future direction of the overarching values of fair trade. Chris Solt will present the implications for brands, retailers, and customers, all with an emphasis on how businesses of all sizes can participate or adapt their work to align with fair trade values.

A number of participating trade association partners – including California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (CAHHS), Craft Retailers and Artists for Tomorrow (CRAFT), Fair Trade Federation, ICBA, Museum Store Association, Spa Industry Association and the Zoo & Aquarium Buyer’s Group – will present “Learn and Earn” Buyer Breakfast Roundtables from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30. Participants will be given the opportunity to network, exchange best practices and explore answers to their toughest challenges. Anyone interested can RSVP at http://imcenters.elbfstlvmjul19.sgizmo.com/s3/.

Home Decor and Interior Design Association Events Planned for Summer Market

This July, the Real Deals on Home Décor buying group again will be hosting its annual convention with Las Vegas Market. Real Deals, based in Twin Falls, Idaho, was launched a decade ago by five sisters who opened décor shops for fun, started franchising in 2006 and has grown to more than 75 stores in 16 states and four provinces. The company's purchasing power means lower prices on its broad and rapidly-changing selection of home décor and boutique clothing and accessories. For Summer Market, Real Deals is expected to bring more than 150 attendees to Las Vegas Market.

Las Vegas Market also is putting an emphasis on the home staging category and partnering with three industry-leading groups – The International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP), Home Staging and Redesign Association (HSRA) and Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) – to bring a slate of special programming to Summer Market. Home staging highlights include: Product Tour of RESA’s Las Vegas Market Showrooms from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 28; IAHSP: Home Staging - How to Successfully and Strategically Add to Your Business from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 29; Staging Association Panel Discussion from 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30; and Top 10 Musts for Top Home Staging & ReDesign Businesses from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31.

New and Returning Industry Affiliates

To support its ongoing partnership initiatives, Las Vegas Market is developing events and activities customized to the specific needs of each of the nearly 50 partnership organizations participating in Summer 2019 Las Vegas Market. Industry partners include: Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals (AHVRP); Accessories Resource Team (ART); American Institute of Floral Designer (AIFD); American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA); Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG); Black Interior Design Network (BIDN); BrandSource; Business of Design; Cantrex Nationwide; Contemporary Design Group (CDG); Craft Retailers & Artists for Tomorrow (CRAFT); Fair Trade Federation (FTF); Furniture Marketing Group (FMG); Furniture First; Furniture Leaders; Gail Doby Coaching & Consulting; GC Buying Group; Gift and Home Trade Association (GHTA); Good Toy Group; Home Staging & Redesign Association (HSRA); Home Furnishings Association (HFA); HTI Buying Group; International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA); indiCo; Kite Trade Association International; MAI Retailers (formerly Monograms America); MEGA Group Canada; The Munce Group; Museum Store Association (MSA); Nationwide Marketing Group; Pacific Furniture Dealers; Palmer Marketing; PLATIN- Latin American Alliance; PRESENTer Network; The Parable Group; Purchasing Power Plus (PPP); Real Deals; Real Estate Staging Association; Real Local Florists; Sierra Pacific Craft (SPC); SMI – Mexico (Sociedad Mexicana de Interioristas AC); Spa Industry Association (SIA); TRIB Group; Wild Birds Unlimited; and Zoo & Aquarium Buyers’ Group (ZAG). For more details, and a full listing of partners, visit: https://www.lasvegasmarket.com/about/industry-partners.

More about Las Vegas Market: Las Vegas Market is the nation’s fastest growing gift and home décor market and the leading furniture marketplace in the western U.S., presenting 4,000+ gift, home décor and furniture resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market features thousands of gift, furniture and home décor lines, allowing for cross-category commerce among these industries. The Summer 2019 Las Vegas Market runs July 28 – Aug. 1, 2019. For more information, visit www.lasvegasmarket.com.

More about International Market Centers, L.P.: Las Vegas Market is produced by International Market Centers, L.P. (IMC), the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. International Market Centers owns and operates 12.2 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, N.C. and Las Vegas. IMC’s mission is to build and operate an innovative, sustainable, profitable and scalable platform for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. For more information on IMC, visit http://imcenters.com/.