New “Forecast Series” Planned for January Las Vegas Market

Furniture World News

What will tomorrow’s best dressed homes be wearing? Attendees of Las Vegas Market – home furnshings’ runway and fastest growing world event – can find out as part of a new three-part presentation called “The Forecast,” in which renowned style experts will unveil the latest in color, the influence of fashion and fabric, as well as the hottest industry trends for the year ahead. Las Vegas Market, held January 28-February 1, 2008, sets the stage for the industry’s first big event of the year with hundreds of new product introductions from more than 1,300 exhibiting companies, an impressive line up of educational seminars and electrifying special events. World Market Center, in partnership with Furniture Style magazine, will present, “The Forecast” educational series featuring Pantone’s Leatrice Eiseman, Merrill Greene of Stylesight, and Michelle Lamb of Marketing Directions. These style experts will also highlight which Las Vegas showrooms and exhibits will feature these hot looks and the latest trends in furnishings. All seminars are free to Las Vegas Market attendees. The seminar series is integrated with and inspired by Las Vegas Market’s latest advertising campaign, which shows how the fashion runway influences today’s interiors and how couture can move from the catwalk and into the home. The ads, tag lined with Home Furnishings’ RunwaySM and themed Preview the New World, utilize contemporary fashion images paired with furnishings to visually depict an “on-trend” experience and to indulge a passion for fashion in Las Vegas. The advertising campaign also underscores the fresh new product lines being unveiled at the semi-annual Market, according to Market officials. “Only in Las Vegas will buyers find an entire world of home furnishings in one convenient destination market with a host of first-class amenities, new resources and educational opportunities,” said Dana Andrew, vice president of marketing and public relations for World Market Center. “As the show and exhibitor base has grown and we have introduced fresh, design focused pavilions, Las Vegas Market has emerged as very fashion-forward event. Showcasing exhibitors from Miami to Milan, Las Vegas Market delivers an amazing range of product and styles for retailers. We expect this new educational series, like the Market itself, to be insightful, relevant and inspire buyers and designers in new ways.” On January 28 at 10:00am, Leatrice Eiseman of Pantone, Inc. will present The Forecast: Color Trends, The Most Directional Future Palettes. Color is a persuasive and pervasive communicator, affecting everything from the clothing people wear to the homes they inhabit. In the ever-evolving home furnishings world, where multiple design influences are felt, it is critical to be aware of future color trends and, most importantly, to understand how they impact the wants and needs of the consumer/client. Leatrice Eiseman explains the origin of color forecasts and shows examples of the most directional palettes for future selling seasons. Eiseman is a color and trend consultant to a wide variety of industries, as well as the Director of the Pantone Color Institute. Named as one of the top international trend influencers by Fortune Magazine, she is the author of seven books on color, including “More Alive With Color” and “Color Messages and Meanings.” Merrill Greene, Creative Director for Stylesight, will present The Forecast: Fabric & Fashion on January 29, at 10:00a.m. Which runway collections shape the trends for the season and which ones fizzle? And which apparel trends go on to influence trends in the home furnishings industry? Greene will share her unique points of view regarding spring 2009 colors, fabrics and styling details from the runways, and explain which ones will impact the home furnishings industry. Greene has been a leading visionary in trend forecasting for the fashion and design industries for more than 30 years. She first started her career as fabrics editor of Harpers Bazaar, and later in her career, as design director for brand concepts at Liz Claiborne, she built and led the company’s corporate concepts. Merrill provides the kind of unique and thought-provoking commentary and image-heavy presentation that fashion experts, trends specialists and consumers alike love to hear. On January 30, at 10:00a.m., The Forecast: Trendwatch Live!, co-sponsored by Accessory Merchandising, will be offered by Michelle Lamb of Marketing Directions Inc. Lamb examines the emerging styles, colors, categories, moods and motifs shaping the way people decorate in this special live edition of her popular, monthly Trendwatch column in Accessory Merchandising magazine. Attendees will discover why she is one of the most trusted trend authorities in our industry as she connects the dots between apparel, other cultural influences, international trade fairs and the latest furnishings—including up-to-the-minute examples snapped on-site in Las Vegas. Lamb is founder and chairman of Marketing Directions Inc., which produces a full line of home furnishings trend and color forecasts, as well as the bi-monthly newsletter The Trend Curve™. Accessory Merchandising is the longest-running trade magazine serving the home accessories industry. Attendees to the Las Vegas Market will have more options than ever before with stimulating educational seminars that enhance their Market experience. Included in nearly 40 informative seminars is World Market Center s’ newly-unveiled “Design Icon Series” featuring design legend Vladimir Kagan; “The Brave New World Environmental Leadership Series Initiative,” designed to provide key information and proven strategies for effective change with a focus on long-term consumer and supplier education; and the educational series offered by Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) in the Retailer Resource Center; WHFA is the largest affiliate of the National Home Furnishings Association. All seminars, except for “The Forecast: Trendwatch Live!” and “Brave New World Series” to be held at MGM Vista Ballroom and MGM Pavilion respectively, will be offered in World Market Center’s Building B, World Forum on the 16th floor. For more details and a complete list of all seminars, visit www.lasvegasmarket.com. About World Market Center: World Market Center is an integrated home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom and trade complex in Las Vegas. When fully built, at 12 million square feet in 8 buildings, World Market Center will be the largest trade show complex in the world. The $3 billion, state-of-the-art campus will showcase furniture, decorative accessories, lighting, area rugs, home textile and related segments, as well as the Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC) open year-round to the trade. World Market Center produces the semi-annual Las Vegas Market, held every January and July, and is the fastest growing home furnishings trade show in the world. World Market Center is now leasing the third building to a broad cross-section of the home furnishings industry. The Winter 2008 Las Vegas Market is scheduled for January 28 to February 1, 2008 at World Market Center’s Buildings A, B and Pavilions and tradeshow at the MGM Grand Hotel. For more information about World Market Center, and to find out about leasing or exhibiting opportunities, visit the website at www.LasVegasMarket.Com or call 888-WMC-SHOW (962-7469).