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Vegas Kids Helps Buyers Capture Growing Market

Furniture World Magazine

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World Market Center announced that newly expanded Vegas Kids will bring together a juvenile tour de force during Summer Las Vegas Market August 2 - 6 at World Market Center Las Vegas. Buyers can expect to see a broad and colorful spectrum of showrooms with the latest in youth furnishings and décor, as well as informative speakers and seminars.

Paul Kurnit, owner of KidShop and a recognized leader in youth marketing, says that Vegas Kids gives the entire industry a chance to mix, mingle and learn from one another. “Vegas Kids is a great opportunity for the kids industry to come together to share ideas and success stories.  The show will highlight some of the latest and greatest directions in kids’ lives, fads and trends, family insights and new directions for kid design, furniture and furnishings.” Kurnit will share more insights during his Vegas Kids presentation, “Kid Wisdom: Essential Insights for Furniture Fun and Profit on Monday, Aug. 2 at 9:00 a.m. in Bldg. C-424.

Robert Maricich, president and CEO of World Market Center, says that Vegas Kids provides an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the industry and discuss the keys to success. “The youth furnishings industry has remained strong, even in these trying times, and that’s for good reason,” says Maricich. “Studies have shown that while parents are more likely to make sacrifices for themselves, they’re still spending when it comes to their kids. Vegas Kids gives both buyers and sellers a greater understanding of this high-growth marketplace and how to capture it. From the youth furniture to the category-specific programming, this exciting destination at Las Vegas Market truly delivers.”

Parents aren’t the only ones spending. According the 2009 study “The Grandparent Economy,” conducted by grandparents.com, grandparents are living longer, working harder and accumulating more than ever. The report says that grandparents spend nearly $23 billion on gifts annually for their grandchildren, accounting for 42 percent of the overall gift market.

High Point, N.C.-based Lea Furniture will showcase Nickelodeon Rooms by Lea - Nick, TweenNick, TeenNick and SpongeBob Surf Club Collections during Vegas Kids.
 
“Lea looks forward to participating in the Vegas Kids show. The campus and set-up will make it easy to introduce potential new retailers to Lea’s distinctive quality and functionality as well as the versatility of the Nickelodeon Rooms collection,” said Jack Richardson, president, Lea Furniture.

Richardson added, “Lea’s presence at the Vegas Kids show will help the company to expand upon our distribution into new geographic regions and retail channels. And, based on what we’re hearing from our sales team and customers, it will allow us to more opportunity to meet with a diverse set of new retailers who may not have seen Nickelodeon Rooms yet, while also allowing us more time to spend on existing relationships with Lea customers who attend the show.”

Lee Blount, business manager for the Ark Group/Thuka Furniture, based in Suffolk, Virginia, says he’s looking forward to the company’s upcoming product launches at Vegas Kids. “We have many brand new children’s furniture lines from Danish and German manufacturers that have never before been sold in the USA,” says Blount. “This gives us an opportunity to supply a range of low-, mid- and high-priced product to independent retailers across the USA, Canada, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Additionally, we are now the American distributor for Spiegelburg Toys, a German manufacturer that has not been shown in the USA prior to its launch at Vegas Kids.”

Blount says that in addition to the premiere venue and memorable entertainment that can always be found at Market, he appreciates the Las Vegas location of World Market Center Las Vegas. It gives his East Coast company greater access to clients, “We are beginning to notice that a lot of retailers from the West Coast prefer to attend the Vegas shows, so this show provides us with great visibility and opportunities to meet them,” he says.

Ted Weber, sales manager for Bolton Furniture in Morrisville, Vermont, says that his company will be showcasing the Low Loft Bed System. The bed can be configured into a tent or storage space and converted into a regular twin or full bed as the child grows. Bolton Furniture will display six bed styles and demonstrate that the different styles, finishes and collections can be shown in just 600 square feet. “What it means to our customers is a profitable return per square foot,” says Weber.

An exclusive line-up of programming will fuel attendees’ discussions throughout the week. In addition to Paul Kurnit’s seminar, design author and frequent “Today” show contributor Susanna Salk will address what’s new kids’ room design. And lifestyle blogger and social media expert Katja Presnal will advise on how independent retailers of youth home furnishings can gain a competitive advantage through effective social media strategy.

Nevada artist Bryan Christiansen’s work will also be on display throughout the Vegas Kids show. Christiansen is known for his unique, life-sized animal sculptures made from recycled pieces of furniture. A type of urban furnishings artist, the sculptor creates new and provocative pieces from old and discarded items.

In addition to Vegas Kids attendees, World Market Center currently attracts thousands of traditional furniture and home retailers internationally to its market every season, and more than 20 percent of buyers purchase juvenile furniture.

Among those companies expected at Vegas Kids: Acme Furniture, Alligator Enterprises, Atlantic Furniture, Bolton/Vermont Precision, Country Cottage, Embassy Int'l/Elements Int'l, Good Trading, Opus Designs, Kelsey's Collection, LA Rug, Lea Industries, Levels of Discovery, LightHeaded and HeadLites, Newport Cottages, Oopsy Daisy Fine Art for Kids, Opus Designs by Hooker, Sing 2 Learn, Thuka Furniture, LLC, Delta Children's Products and Tuga Sun Wear.

The Vegas Kids exhibitors that serve the youth segment include those located on the 4th floor of Building C:

Acme Furniture

Alligator Enterprises

Atlantic Furniture

Baby Dipper

Bedtime

Bolton/Vermont Precision

Brian Christiansen

California Kids

Coaster

Comfort Research

Country Cottage

Creative Baby Inc.

Delta Children's Products

Elementary

Good Trading

Kelsey’s Collection

Kinfine

Kinfine Kids

LA Rug

Lea Industries

Levels of Discovery

LightHeaded and HeadLites

Mauricio’s Furniture

Naturepedic

Newport Cottages

OneWorld

Oopsy Daisy Fine Art for Kids

Opus Designs by Hooker

Powell Company

Sing 2 Learn

Southeastern Kids

Thuka Furniture, LLC 

In addition, other exhibitors will be featuring the latest in youth furnishings and décor, including:

4D Concepts

Adesso Inc.

Affordable Furniture

Ambella Home Collection

Amity Home

Ashley Furniture Industries

aspenhome

Baseline Licensing

Bear Hands & Buddies

Best Home Furnishings

Best Master Enterprises

Boyd Specialty Sleep

Braggables

Brownstone, Inc.

Broyhill

Buhler Furniture

Capel Rugs Inc.

Chromcraft Revington Furniture

Coaster Company of America

CR Kids

CYM Furniture

Delta Children’s Products

Diamond Star Glass

Donco

Dreamfit

Elite Design Furnishings

Embassy Int’l / Elements Int’l

Emerald Home Furnishings

Ethan Allen

Fairmont Designs

Five Star Mattress

Flair Design

Flik Flak Watches

Furniture Traditions, Inc

C1384

Furniture Transport Group

B1630

Generation Furniture

Global Eagle LLC

Good Trading

Harden Manufacturing

Hiatt Furniture

Hollywood Bed & Spring Mfg.

Home Dynamix

Homelegance

International Bedding Corporation

Jubilee Collection

Kalalou

King’s Rattan

Kittrich Corporation

Kush Furniture Company, The

LaCrosse Furniture Company

Legare Furniture

Legion Furniture

Lexington Home Brands

Life Style Covers by Royal

Linon

Lumisource

Melissa & Doug

Midwest-CBK

MK and Company

Mobital USA

Modus Furniture International

NCA Design, Inc.

New Classic Home Furnishings

Night and Day Furniture

Noble House, Inc

Office Star Products

Pastel Furniture, Mallin Casual Furniture

Perdue

Postcards Home

Powell Company

PTM Images

Pulaski Furniture Corporation

Quoizel

Robert Allen Group, The

Samuel Lawrence Furniture

Saro Trading Company

SDH Enterprises

Skyline Furniture Mfg.

Somerton Home Furnishings

South Shore Furniture

Sprout Shell, LLC

Squeakers

Surya

The Rug Market

Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc.

Tino Turtle Travels, LLC

Tuga Sun Wear

Venetian Gems/Classic Touch

Walker Edison

Whittier Wood Furniture

Winners Only

Yosemite Home Décor

Vegas Kids at Las Vegas Market will be held August 2-6, 2010 Attendees can book discounted rooms online now at www.vegaskidslv.com. For a list of Vegas Kids exhibitors, visit the online directory at www.vegaskidslv.com.

About World Market Center Las Vegas: World Market Center Las Vegas is an integrated home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom and trade complex. The state-of-the-art campus showcases furniture, decorative accessories, gift, lighting, area rugs, home textiles and related segments, as well as the Las Vegas Design Center open daily to consumers and designers. World Market Center currently hosts the biannual Las Vegas MarketTM, the preeminent total home market along with INSPIREDESIGNTM, Gift + HomeTM and Vegas KidsTM. For more information on World Market Center Las Vegas and its shows, visit www.wmclv.com. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.