Regional Furniture Market Producer, Karel Exposition Management, Celebrates 60 Years Of Success

Furniture World Magazine

From antiques to art deco, the traditional to the downright tacky, Larry Karel has seen every trend in the furniture business come and go - and even seen some come back again. After 50 years in the business and more than 1,000 trade shows spanning from the East to the West coast, Karel Expo has hosted it all - and they are still going strong. When Karel was starting out in the furniture exposition management business back in the 1960s, he had his father to teach him the ropes. Now in his 41st year in the business, Karel works the convention center like a Hollywood director overseeing his finest production. "Many things have changed since the 1960s," Karel says, "but it still takes round the-clock planning and attention to detail to host a successful trade show. My biggest thrill is seeing a huge empty hall littered with tons of trunks, boxes, display equipment and furniture transformed overnight into a dazzling show-biz style trade show production." As a boy, Larry Karel traveled the trade show circuit with his father, Jules, one of the most popular promoters in the industry, When Jules Karel died in 1972, Larry carried on with the shows, which usually featured an average of 50 exhibitor spaces. He focused his energies on expanding family-owned Karel Exhibition Management and earned the unofficial title, "King of the Regional Furniture Markets." These days, Karel's shows have grown to be a little larger than his father's shows were, a typical Karel show now features 1,300 exhibitors and attracts buyers and sellers from across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. "Larry Karel is the Dean of the Drive-In Markets. His shows fill an important niche for retailers and manufacturers who don't have the time or money to go to the major furniture markets," said David Perry, executive editor of Furniture Today. "Larry is a tireless promoter who genuinely wants his buyers and sellers to do well. His record of success speaks for itself." Born in 1939, Larry Karel grew up in Chicago, where thousands of buyers annually attended his father's Navy Pier housewares show, the forerunner of the first major regional home furnishings market. Karel attended the University of Miami where he studied journalism. After marrying in 1960, Karel decided to go back to what he knew best and joined his father's company. Following a political clash with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley in 1966, the Karels moved to Miami Beach and started over. By the mid 1970s, Karel had turned around the small regional Florida Furniture Market, owned by the Florida Association of Furniture Manufacturers (FAFM) and the Florida Home Furnishing Representatives Association. By 1980, the August show was pulling exhibits from more than 700 manufacturers and buyers from Burdines and Sears were regular customers. "Larry Karel took the Florida show from a little, biddy show to a nationally acclaimed show," said Nathan Konigsberg, former FAFM president and owner of Kane's Masterbuilt Furniture in Miami, in a 1988 interview. Through its tireless promotions, today Karel's company completes hundreds of thousands of direct mailings prior to a show to attract manufacturers and buyers of furniture, lighting, decorative accessories and bedding as well as thousands of industry-related buyers who can see the latest merchandise and stay current with trends in the marketplace. The successful shows are due not only to the direct promotions done by Karel, his staff and the strong reputation of the company. The markets are effectively buyer-friendly. "Even after 50 years and thousands of shows, making the markets a success still takes a lot of advance work," said Karel. "We have built up an extensive mailing list and we're constantly doing mailings and working the phones." Karel describes himself as a worrier. "But it's the worrying and caring about every detail that keeps buyers and exhibitors happy and coming back for more." Now celebrating their golden anniversary in the business, Karel is proud of the accolades he has received from the scores of exhibitors that have appeared in his markets throughout the years. "The markets promoted by Karel Exposition have made it possible for many retailers to shop for companies in their own backyard," said Craig Cleveland of International Home Furnishings Representatives Association. "Karel has made it possible for small manufacturers to exhibit their product in an affordable manner and grow their business." Today, Karel's daughter Jill is the Controller at Karel Exposition Management for 15 years. "We are proud to have established a long-term successful family-owned business," Karel said. "After 50 years, I still thrill at it all and our record of success keeps me going - I am told over and over again that our shows have created a winning formula for exhibitors, buyers and host cities." Based in Aventura, Florida, Karel Exposition Management is the nations' largest producer of regional furniture and decorative accessory markets. The company holds regional markets in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Edison, New Jersey; Worcester, Massachusetts; Las Vegas, Nevada and Long Beach, California.