WMC: Results validate vision behind design of Vegas market
By Jay McIntosh -- Furniture Today, October 3, 2005
Las Vegas — World Market Center officials generally were happy with the results of a Furniture/Today survey that showed a largely favorable reaction to their first market here.
They said they expect to make improvements in areas the survey cited as problems, including the transportation system.
Gerry Sawyer, WMC's chief operating officer, said the survey responses were consistent with what developers of the Las Vegas showroom complex have been hearing from the industry.
"It validated exactly what we felt and what we (had found out from) exhibitors even years ago, before we created the World Market Center," he said. "We tried to match up what we constructed and what we delivered to the needs of the buyers and exhibitors."
Sawyer said that an "important telling point" of the Furniture/Today survey was the response to a question on whether the value of attending, or showing at, the Las Vegas and High Point markets was worth the expense. Among all groups surveyed — retailers, manufacturers and sales representatives — a strong majority of 67% to 75% said Vegas was worth the expense, compared with 34% to 48% for High Point.
That refutes the criticism by High Point market backers that Las Vegas might be popular for its entertainment value, but wouldn't be a good place to do business, Sawyer said.
The most common suggestion for improvement that survey respondents offered for Las Vegas was "larger showroom space." Dana Pretner, the World Market Center's director of marketing and public relations, said that indicates buyers are eager to see and shop for more product, which "bodes very well for the future of Las Vegas."
The WMC has accelerated its construction schedule for future showroom buildings and plans to open its second building in early 2007. Space in the 1.6 million-square-foot building is already 70% leased, Sawyer said.
"We are creating the depth and diversity of the product and combining that with the ease of shopping," he said.
On transportation issues, he said the WMC had gained crucial experience at the July market to let it know when and where the shuttle buses and taxis are needed, which will help it tailor resources for the next market, Jan. 30–Feb.3.
He said that despite the generally positive responses in the survey, the market still can be improved.
"I'm not the type of person that's going to sit back and settle for these numbers," he said. "We're already working on our lessons learned."
