Las Vegas Served As Host City For Hfia Fall Board Meeting

Furniture World Magazine

Officials with the Home Furnishings International Association (HFIA) recently attended the organization’s fall board meeting, held Nov. 10-12, 2002, in Las Vegas. During their visit, HFIA members joined Las Vegas Market executives for breakfast and a site tour to discuss plans for World Market Center SM, soon to be the largest and most comprehensive home furnishings showrooms and convention complex on the west coast. “This trip was intended to give our Association’s leadership a first-hand look at plans for the Las Vegas Market, and enable them to consider its impact on them,” said HFIA President Mary Frye. “We were impressed with what we heard and saw.” More than 30 retailers convened in Las Vegas for the meeting, which included the Association’s board of directors and past presidents. HFIA leaders also toured the newest R.C. Willey store in Las Vegas. Frye said that while many in the group may have visited Las Vegas previously, most had not conducted business there. “We had no trouble staying focused on our business while in Las Vegas,” she said. “In fact, the city’s amenities add to, rather than distract from, the overall experience.” Originally established as a trade organization for owners of independent retail operations in Texas, HFIA’s membership has expanded to include any company involved in home furnishings in any segment of the industry. “Las Vegas speaks everybody’s language, and we are interested in this development for our members and for the industry as a whole,” said Frye. “Las Vegas will be very welcoming to the home furnishings business internationally because the city and its infrastructure are used to dealing with conventions of all shapes and sizes.” Frye further commented: “Las Vegas has the opportunity to show a lot of product in an organized and user-friendly manner. We are particularly supportive of Las Vegas’ potential to reach the small, independent retailer. Independent and medium sized retail operators tend to wear many hats, and need to make the best use of their time and shopping experience (during Market). We believe a Las Vegas Market can meet their needs.” “Based on our meetings with (WMC officials), we could clearly see that World Market Center SM plans to offer a critical mass of product, which is going to be very attractive to buyers domestically and globally,” said Frye. Supporting this view are results from an independent survey of the Top 200 furniture retailers in the country. The survey was conducted last spring by the highly respected Center for Business and Economic Research at University of Nevada at Las Vegas in conjunction with L.A. Mayo & Associates, and commissioned by Furniture Mart Enterprises, LLC, developer of the home furnishings showroom complex in Las Vegas. That survey found that a majority of buyers do not currently have a propensity to shop regional markets, yet 75 percent of those surveyed said they plan to attend the Las Vegas Market. “The positive word-of-mouth about World Market Center SM is encouraging, and we’re always excited to host industry representatives in Las Vegas to show them what our Market is all about,” said Dave Palmer, general manager and director of leasing for World Market Center SM. The first stage of World Market Center SM will dominate the complex and will encompass four million square feet of permanent showrooms and a Design Center dedicated to all facets of home furnishings. To be built in three phases, the first stage will comprise three separate buildings and will be open to trade only. Phase I at 1.25 million square feet will debut in early 2004. For leasing information, contact Babs Blair or Russell Blair at (888) 416-8600 or by e-mail at: Babs@LasVegasMarket.com or Russell@LasVegasMarket.com. For general information about the project, contact Dave Palmer, General Manager at: (702) 243-2356 or by e-mail: Palmer@LasVegasMarket.com. For more information, visit www.LasVegasMarket.com. Founded in 1923, HFIA is a membership-based, national organization designed to strengthen the home furnishings industry through collective support, services, and leadership. HFIA’s offices are located in the World Trade Center on the Dallas Market Center campus. For more information, contact info@hfia.com.