Las Vegas Market Continues Partnership with Aid to Artisans

Furniture World News Desk on 6/29/2018

Las Vegas Market announced today a continuation of its partnership with leading non-profit economic development firm Aid to Artisans, a collaboration that will bring artisan exhibitors from around the globe to the Summer 2018 Las Vegas Market, running July 29 to August 2, 2018 .

“Aid to Artisans is the standard-bearer for the global maker movement, and their TEAM (Training for Entrepreneurs in Artisan Markets) showcase of unique artisan-produced goods is an important strategic advance in Las Vegas Market’s overall commitment to expanding our current HANDMADE product mix,” said Esther Ossei-Anto, Senior Marketing Manager, International Market Centers. “As the nation’s fastest growing gift and home décor market, Las Vegas Market recognizes the importance of supporting independent artisans and offering our retailer and designer audience a variety of sustainable and socially-responsible merchandise.”

The Summer 2018 Aid to Artisan showcase will feature the works of five companies from Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tibet, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. This summer, the Aid to Artisans exhibitors will be as part of HANDMADE category offerings at the Pavilions at Las Vegas Market.
Newcomers for Summer Market are:

Azure Jewelry, based in Mexico City, which features clean, contemporary handcrafted jewelry created by founder Carlos Ruiz.

Bibi Hanum, from Uzbekistan, is a socially responsible enterprise creating fashion apparel and accessories using traditional hand-woven silk cotton ikat fiber. Founder and artistic director Muhayo Alieva’s mission is to provide economic opportunities for women while preserving Uzbekistan’s rich cultural and ethnographic heritage.

Dropenling is a socially responsible, self-sustaining Tibetan provider of colorful toys and puppets supported by the World Bank’s Poverty Alleviation Project and is a recipient of a UNESCO Award of Excellence. The company’s name is based on the Tibetan word that translates as “giving back for the betterment of all sentient beings.”

Foundation of Cultural and Creative Industries Inc. (FINCC) of the Dominican Republic was founded as a means of preserving the culture and traditional skills of the Dominican Republic artisan sector and features a number of artisan-crafted products, including wood carvings, reproductions of pre-Columbian ceramics, and jewelry using Dominican amber and rare blue amber found only in the country’s mountains.

Khyber Truck, based in Pakistan, translates the country’s colorful indigenous truck art into a wide variety of household items and collectibles, including kettles, lanterns, canisters as well as model trucks. All items represent Pakistani culture and tradition, and each piece is entirely handmade, painted by master artists with bright color paints on metal.

The TEAM initiative from Aid to Artisans is an on-site coaching and mentoring program for emerging international artisan businesses. The program uses Aid to Artisans’ holistic training and trade show preparation process to help artisan entrepreneurs worldwide grow their businesses, expand into new markets, and achieve sustainable growth while exhibiting at Las Vegas Market.

Carola Mandelbaum, recently-named president of Creative Learning, Aid to Artisans’ parent organization, said, “We believe in the mission of the Las Vegas Market and its potential for growth. Creative Learning/Aid to Artisans is proud to be a partner in this important initiative and we look forward to a long and productive collaboration that empowers artisan entrepreneurs around the world.”

Las Vegas Market has been experiencing exceptional growth in handcrafted merchandise, and 200+ artisan resources will be featured in permanent showrooms and in temporary exhibits this summer. With 70+ juried exhibitors, HANDMADE in the Pavilions at Las Vegas Market features the Market’s largest concentration of handcrafted resources.

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 2018 Las Vegas Market runs July 29 to August 2, 2018. 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/