Futon, specialty sleep category on a roll
David Perry -- Furniture Today, March 2, 2003
Las Vegas — If what happens at the Futon and Specialty Sleep Expo here this week is any guide, and it certainly should be, the futon category is heading for another good year.
The show, the annual venue for new futon and specialty sleep products, is a sellout, a welcome development at a time when home furnishings sales are less than stellar.
"Selling out our floor space was a wonderful shot in the arm," said Futon Assn. International President Tom Tedesco. "Things have really picked up as more and more members of the trade agree that futon furniture really moves, no pun intended."
Using the theme "Seeing Things From the Consumer's Perspective," the FAI has set an every-other-year-in-Las Vegas rotation for its trade show.
Last year's show in Chicago was designed to reach the growing number of Midwest retailers who sell futons and specialty sleep products.
Next year, the show moves to Philadelphia, tapping into the strong Northeast market. Then it's back to Las Vegas, always a popular venue for exhibitors and retailers.
"Las Vegas has so much going on at night that buyers and sellers alike seem to be willing to network during the day and reserve their leisure activities for the evening," said Tedesco. "Futon furniture seems to be recession-proof, and with consumers shopping for value and versatility, futons are a perfect fit."
The show traditionally has been a showcase for suppliers to premiere their latest futon frame designs, cover fabrics and premium mattresses for the upcoming season. With consumer interest at an all-time high and frame manufacturers showing more high-fashion and trendy looks, dealers, especially those from the West Coast, are expected to attend the show in strong numbers.
"We are very excited that there is so much anticipation about our show," said Futon and Specialty Sleep Expo Manager Tambra Jones.
The March 2–4 show this year is set for the Las Vegas Convention Center and shares the weekend with a NASCAR race. "We're in a perfect high-profile location," said Jones. "We have the first hall right up front, and with our annual banquet happening across the street at The Beach nightclub, we expect a huge turnout of buyers."
Contracts already have been signed at the Philadelphia Convention Center for the 2004 show. "This is just another case where we will be at the right place at the right time," said Jones.
Tedesco said, "Philly is the center point of the most densely populated region in the East. With more than 40 million consumers and thousands of dealers within 200 miles of our show, we see no slowdown in sight from now through 2004."
For more information, visit FAI's Web site at www.futon.org. The Futon and Specialty Sleep Expo is owned and managed by FAI.
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