World Market Center Rolls Out Big Plans for Floor Coverings

Furniture World Magazine

The floor coverings category is growing right along with the Las Vegas Market home furnishings campus, with the majority of the industry’s major players already committed to space at World Market Center. Nasser Rahmanan, President of Secaucus, N.J.-based Masterlooms, is planning an expanded showroom for World Market Center’s third building. “The position that we have right now in Las Vegas is excellent, and it’s getting better as we expand our showroom and plan to move into the new third building.” Rahmanan said of Las Vegas Market, “Almost all of the major players in the floor coverings industry are there already or planning showrooms at the second or third buildings.” Rahmanan said he has been extremely happy in Las Vegas. “The traffic is there and we have seen a lot of people in Las Vegas that we never saw in High Point or Atlanta. We’ve also been impressed that it’s truly an international market. Las Vegas Market is the mother of all Markets. Everything that a Market requires is there in Las Vegas - the hotels, the restaurants and state-of-the-art facilities. With 12 million square feet of buildings that are all connected, there will be nothing like it in the world.” Looking to the future, when Las Vegas Market’s Building C is completed in 2008, it will feature two entire floors of floor coverings goods, including rugs, carpets, hardwood, tile, stone and laminate. Babs Blair, Director of Leasing for World Market Center, said, “As Building B opens in conjunction with the January, 2007 Market, we will see a large increase in the rug category alone. Building C, which will be completed in 2008, will see an influx of new and expanded floor coverings showrooms, with much of the space already pre-leased. With targeted destinations, we are making the environment more conducive for buyers.” Blair added, “We are seeing a huge rush for space in Building C from an influx of companies in the decorative accessories area.” Janelle Lampp, a Smyrna, Ga.-based consultant to the rug and home textiles industry, works closely with several rug manufacturers who have showrooms at Las Vegas Market. “The Market has been a real boon for rug manufacturers because it offers not only incredible buyer traffic, but also an outlet to new types of clients that might not attend other Markets,” Lampp said. “My clients have found that the level of traffic and the commitment to purchase merchandise at Las Vegas Market has been phenomenal, and they are firmly committed to a long-term future of Las Vegas Market.” Rao Yarlagadda, President of the Somerset, N.J.-based Kas Oriental Rugs, is one of the industry's leading suppliers of imported handmade and machine-made rugs. Kas is leasing space in the temporaries and is planning a showroom to open in World Market Center’s Building C for 2008. “We see a huge future in Las Vegas and at World Market Center,” said Yarlagadda, who is planning a 6,000-square-foot showroom for Las Vegas Market. “As they expand to 12 million square feet, we are seeing a lot of furniture dealers who prefer to come to Las Vegas Market based upon the convenience of flights, hotels and entertainment.” Don Scarlata, President and CEO of the Pawtucket, R.I.-based Colonials Mills, has been showing at the temporaries and will exhibit at the Pavilions at the Winter 2007 Las Vegas Market. He has also leased a permanent showroom at World Market Center’s Building C, set to open in 2008. “Las Vegas Market is a great fit for us as a company and I am very excited for the third building to open,” Scarlata said. “World Market Center has been designed to be very easy for buyers to shop. In fact, due to the presentation and the fact that the buildings will all be connected, World Market Center has the potential to give us as a company broader exposure and more sales because buyers tend to walk the entire Market in Las Vegas. With the second building opening and the third building under construction, Las Vegas Market is becoming more of a destination for the industry. As a result, we expect to gain more exposure to a wider variety of customers, such as catalog buyers and e-commerce retailers who may be at Market looking at other accessory items.” The current and future lineup of rug and floor covering companies with permanent showrooms at World Market Center include: Abbyson Capel Chandra Rugs CMI/ Colonial Mills Company C Dalyn Dynamic Rugs Feizy Global Accents H.R.I./ Harounian Hellenic Home Dynamix Homemaker Industries Home Traditions & Textiles Jaipur Rugs Jaunty Kaleen Kas Oriental Rugs L.A. Rugs Loloi Lifestyles USA L.R. Resources Masterlooms Momeni Nourison Orient Express Oriental Weavers Peel & Company Royal Intercontinental Rug Market, The Safavieh Surya Trans-Ocean United Weavers of America World Market Center is an integrated home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom and convention complex in Las Vegas. When fully built, at 12 million square feet in eight buildings, World Market Center will be the largest trade show complex in the World. The next Las Vegas Market will be held January 29 – February 2, 2007 at World Market Center and Pavilions, and January 30 – February 2 at Cashman Center. For more information on Las Vegas Market, and to find out about leasing or exhibiting opportunities, visit the website at www.lasvegasmarket.com or call 888-WMC-SHOW (962-7469).