Karel brings markets to the masses
His principle: Get buyers, sellers together
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, August 26, 2002
EDISON, N.J. — Larry Karel, who proudly calls himself "the Wal-Mart of the furniture shows," has spent the last four decades crisscrossing the country, hosting shows in dozens of different venues from coast to coast.
Strangely — or perhaps appropriately — his travels have never taken him to the Furniture Capital of the World: High Point. He would like to visit sometime, he admits, but it just hasn't happened yet.
High Point, and the industry's other major markets, has given him a major opening, one that his company, Karel Exposition Management, has made it its business to address. Many retailers and exhibitors simply don't have the time and money to go to the big markets, Karel says.
So he gives them an alternative, bringing his shows to the furniture masses. Focusing on populous markets in the Northeast and Southeast, with stops in California and Las Vegas thrown in for good measure, Karel has found success with his regional furniture and accessory shows. He likes to say that the cost of admission is "less than a tank of gas."
Karel's shows are not fancy. He says his job is to bring buyer and seller together, without much fanfare. He doesn't offer seminars during the day and lavish social events in the evenings, staples at the big furniture shows.
"I've never tried to be fancy," Karel admitted earlier this month in his show office at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, where the Edison shows are held. "All these people want to do is write orders. The simple principle of bringing buyer and seller together is what I concentrate on."
He's honed that principle to an art form in his 42 years with Karel Exposition Management, founded by his father, Jules. A tireless promoter, he still writes the mailers that flood retailers' offices around the country. He jokes that he wishes he was paid by the pound for all his mailings.
Promotion is the water that keeps his business growing. Karel understands that. He's always touting the upcoming shows on his schedule, which this year include Fitchburg, Mass., Sept. 22-24; Edison, N.J., Nov. 10-12; and Long Beach, Calif., Nov. 24-26.
He's always looking for new markets and new venues, seeking to meet the shifting needs of the moms and pops. He's guided by the knowledge that his shows work best when retailers have to drive no more than an hour to get to them.
New on the schedule this year is the Holiday Furniture & Accessory Show, set for Edison in November.
Named after famed inventor Thomas Edison, the city has been a bright spot for Karel, who has been holding two highly successful shows there each year. With the holiday show this year, Edison will be the first market city to host three Karel events in a single year.
With 200,000 square feet of exhibition space and 1,000 exhibit spaces, Edison is the second-largest show Karel sponsors. The Orlando, Fla., show, with more than 1,300 booths, is the largest.
The reason for the holiday show, Karel says, is to give retailers a chance to order merchandise for holiday promotions.
The Edison shows serve a unique group of retailers, Karel said. "There's never been a show like this," he said. "It's such a mix of people. It's like the United Nations."
This August's Edison show attracted about 5,000 buyers, according to Karel. He said he mailed out more than 2,000 badges to buyers before the show started.
At 63, Karel could be thinking about retirement. But that's not in the cards. "I'm never quitting," he said. "I love it. It's a great business."
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