Atlanta Market Momentum Accelerates as Summer 2021 Market Approaches
Furniture World News Desk on
7/8/2021
Atlanta Market continues its positive momentum with an engaging Summer edition presenting expanded resources bolstered by the return of in-person industry events and celebrations set for July 13-19, 2021 at AmericasMart Atlanta.
“As conditions have improved this spring, the momentum of Atlanta Market also has accelerated with buyers and sellers even more excited to get back together with Atlanta as their destination of choice,” said Bob Maricich, International Market Centers (IMC) CEO.
Summer Market Showroom Updates
Across AmericasMart, brands and sales agencies are updating their presentations in preparation for Summer Market buying with a total of 58 new, expanded and relocated brands opening among the market’s 1,000+ gift and home décor showrooms.
The Atlanta Market Home Décor category of 300+ home décor showrooms on 11 floors features 26 showroom updates. Some 12 new showrooms include French Graffiti (textiles and artwork), Level 57 Art Studio (home décor and artwork), Norwalk Custom Furniture (home décor and furnishings), Pendleton Woolen Mills (home décor and furnishings) and more. The 14 expansions and relocations are highlighted by new lobby level showrooms for Currey & Company (lighting) and Loloi (rugs), plus significant expansions by Celadon Art (framed art) and MooMoo Designs, Inc. (jewelry, fashion and home accessories). Atlanta Market’s Atlanta NEXT remerchandising campaign continues with major relocations in Building 1 including Balta Home (home décor and rugs),Diamond Star (glassware, tabletop and home décor), Stover Sales (representing 18 bathroom and kitchen plumbing lines) and Stylecraft Home Collection (home accessories, furniture and lighting).
Atlanta Market’s 700+ gift and lifestyle showrooms – presented on 19 floors across all three buildings – feature 32 updates: 13 new and 19 expansions in the general gift and specialty categories (gourmet food and housewares, outdoor living and tabletop). Highlights in gift include new showrooms for Art Studio (hand-crafted, customizable gifts, seasonal and souvenirs) and Jen & Co (handbags); an additional location for India Handicrafts (aluminum home accessories); and expansions for Direct International (Americana home and seasonal décor), The Round Top Collection (metal art) and The Simblist Group (representing 27 “green” gift, personal care, children's and home accessories lines). In gourmet, housewares and tabletop, notable updates are new showrooms for Be Home (handcrafted ecofriendly home and lifestyle products), Hot Skwash (collectible art and tabletop), Mode Living (contemporary table settings) and Pickard China (fine china); and expansions for Core Home (housewares and home décor) and Sweet Shop Candies (handmade gourmet truffles and chocolates). In Seasonal & Gift, two major expansions are K&K Interiors (seasonal and home décor plus apparel and accessories) and Tremont Floral Supplies (artificial floral, floral accessories, gifts, home decor and seasonal) adding an additional location. In outdoor living, MPG Planters (nursery pots, urns, planters and garden accessories) takes a new showroom.
Collaborations and Growth in the Temporary Exhibits
Atlanta Market’s temporary exhibits – open July 14-18 – double in size over the Winter 2021 market with more brands and renewed partnerships with three leading industry organizations –the Accessories Council, Museum Store Association and Virginia's Finest® which present pavilions of member brands that are open to all market attendees.
Temporary category location updates continue this summer to prepare for post-pandemic growth across the marketplace. Four categories – Body & Soul, Body & Soul LUXE, Children's World and Modern Child – relocate to Building 3, Floor 3 to allow for expansion in those popular categories as well as expansion of General Gift and On Trend Gift in Building 3, Floor 5.
The Atlanta Market temporary exhibits present 1,000+ brands in 31 categories, organized as:
Building 1
Floor 7: Fine Linens & Home Textiles; Home Accents & Home Furnishings
Building 2:
Floor 2: HIGH DESIGN; HIGH DESIGN LUXE
Floor 3: Gourmet; Gourmet LUXE; Housewares; Outdoor Living; Outdoor Living LUXE; Seasonal / Gift; Tabletop & Entertaining; Tabletop LUXE
Floor 4: Cash & Carry Jewelry
Building 3
Floor 1: ANTIQUES
Floor 2: Emerging Artists; The Gallery Collection; Global Designs; Handmade Designs; Handmade Jewelry; Made in America; Museum Gifts & Fine Gifts
Floor 3: Body & Soul; Body & Soul LUXE; Children's World; Modern Child
Floor 4: Boutique (featuring The Accessories Council); Gentlemen's Boutique; Jewelry, Fashion Accessories & Apparel
Floor 5: General Gifts; On Trend Gifts
Additionally, through a first-time collaboration with Clarion Events, Atlanta Market attendees can source from more than 50 exhibitors of coffee roasting, brewing and serving products, packaging and point of sale systems and related merchandise at Coffee Fest Atlanta 2021, staged July 15-16 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Atlanta Market attendees will receive free access to Coffee Fest and its 50+ educational sessions. For information and registration, visit www.coffeefest.com.
In-Person Experiences Return for Market
Atlanta Market heralds the rebound of in-person markets with a series of live events during the market week. The Market Kick-Off Party, 3 - 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 14 in the Building 3, Floor 2 atrium offers a long-awaited opportunity for the industry to gather again. Other events throughout the week include free happy hours Thursday through Saturday from 3 - 5:30 p.m and at-market installations featuring a tribute to the 2021 Greeting Card Association LOUIE Award finalists in Building 2, Floor 2, a vignette of Market Snapshot finalists in Building 1, Floor 1 and instagrammable moments throughout Buildings 1, 2 and 3. At the Peachtree Street level, an expanded pedestrian space will extend the sidewalk for three blocks in front of AmericasMart complete with an original art installation welcoming attendees to Atlanta.
Atlanta Market offers multichannel opportunities for attendees to interact with market trends. The popular Demonstration Kitchen in Building 2, Floor 8 reopens with a live demonstration and book signing by tastemaker and author Danny Seo, publisher and co-principal of Rue magazine and editor-in-chief of Naturally Danny Seo on Thursday, July 15 at 11 a.m. as well as a series of videos featuring all-star Atlanta chef, restaurateur and "Top Chef" fan favorite Kevin Gillespie preparing his char sui pork dish and a classic mai tai cocktail. The Market Snapshot program features 40 top products from across the gift and home décor collections including five products selected by Oprah Daily’s Adam Glassman to raise awareness of Gift for Life’s “Feed the Hungry – Feel the Good” fundraiser. The five #ATLMKT2021 influencers Valerie Darden (@brextoncoleinteriors), Brittany Hayes (@Addisonswonderland); Marissa Nelums (@glasshouseinterior), Amy Williams (@cutertudor); and Ashley Wilson (@athomewithashley) will visit the market in-person and share their favorite market experiences on social media.
This summer, Atlanta Market is sponsoring Gift for Life’s “Feed the Hungry – Feel the Good” fundraiser for World Central Kitchen’s COVID-related hunger relief efforts with a commitment to match donations up to $10,000 from market participants. Through the campaign, donors of at least $50 can qualify to win raffle prizes including Atlanta Market hotel stays and dining certificates. Atlanta Market raffle entries are available for purchase online at: https://donate.wck.org/AtlantaMkt.
Additionally, in-person buyers’ lounges in Building 1, Floor 6; Building 2, Floor 8; and Building 3, Floor 11 return, with sponsorship by JuniperMarket -- IMC’s new fully integrated omnichannel B2B e-commerce platform launching in 2021 – with opportunities to learn more about the Juniper platform, pre-register for the JuniperMarket and pick up branded swag items. Brands interested in the compatible JuniperCommerce tool can meet with team members in the Building 1, Floor 6 Juniper showroom.
Other new amenities include a free shuttle to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and expanded free buyer parking. The airport shuttle, open to all market attendees, leaves AmericasMart from the new bus terminal at Building 1 every hour on the hour from 1 – 7 p.m., July 14-17. Free buyer parking is available close to the AmericasMart campus in the Peachtree Center Garage (0.2 miles from Building 1 at 161 Peachtree Center Ave.) and American Cancer Society Building (connected by bridge to Building 3 at 112 Baker St NW) July 13-19 on a first-come first served basis until full. For more information about travel and parking, visit AtlantaMarket.com/Attend/Travel.
Atlanta Market’s showrooms are open Tuesday, July 13 – Monday, July 19, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Temporaries are open Wednesday, July 14 – Saturday, July 17, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 18, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. ANTIQUES closes on Saturday, July 17 at 2 p.m.
About Atlanta Market
Atlanta Market is the industry’s premier gift, décor and lifestyle market. Housing the nation’s largest gift product mix complemented by a broad selection of home décor, it features more than 8,000 brands across all categories. Held semi-annually at AmericasMart Atlanta, Atlanta Market attracts retailers and designers from every U.S. state and more than 60 countries. For more information, visit AtlantaMarket.com.
About International Market Centers
International Market Centers (IMC) serves as the center of commerce for the wholesale furniture, gift, home decor and apparel industries. With more than 20 million square feet of premium wholesale showroom space in High Point, N.C., Las Vegas and Atlanta, IMC has more than 60 years of relationships and experience creating scalable business platforms for wholesale commerce. With the launch of Juniper, a fully integrated omnichannel B2B commerce solution and multiline B2B e-commerce marketplace empowering buyers and sellers to better manage and grow their business at markets and year-round, IMC now provides the only omnichannel sales and marketing platform that seamlessly connects physical and digital wholesale commerce. For more information, visit www.imcenters.com.