UPDATE: Las Vegas Market shifts to September
Show to be trimmed to four days
Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, October 8, 2008
LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Market has pushed back the dates for its second 2009 show until September, and will shorten the market to a four-day event.The new fall show dates, Sept, 14-17, 2009, are close to the dates traditionally set aside for High Point's premarket, and are approximately one month prior to High Point's fall market, which is set for Oct. 17-22, 2009.
Dates for next year's winter show in Las Vegas, a five-day event beginning Feb. 9, remain unchanged.
"Our research clearly shows that buyers and exhibitors don't want more days in a market; rather they want to focus on a market that is convenient and productive and is respectful of the value of their time and money," said Bob Maricich, president and CEO of the World Market Center in Las Vegas.
"Las Vegas Market has emerged as the most efficient and productive market experience, and our new date pattern reinforces our commitment to maximize opportunities for participating exhibitors, buyers and designers," he said.
Maricich said the new dates occur when hotel rates in Las Vegas and other travel costs are "quite reasonable." Plus the new schedule avoids January, a month that has several European shows, and August, a vacation month for many Europeans, he said.
Next fall's show, however, will take place the same week as the All Baby & Child (ABC) show, the nation's largest trade show for juvenile and baby furniture, which will be held at the nearby Las Vegas Convention Center.
In addition, the show begins two days after the conclusion of a furniture show in Shanghai, China, that is shopped by several major U.S. retailers.
"I guess we can work them both, but that's a little tight," said Jake Jabs, owner and CEO of Englewood, Colo.-based American Furniture Warehouse, who usually goes to both shows. "We might even fly direct from Shanghai to Vegas."
Since its inception in the summer of 2005, the Las Vegas Market has been held in January and July.
Maricich said the date changes were based on a survey conducted by Trade Show Week magazine as well as feedback from key exhibitors and retailers.
"World Market Center Las Vegas is the only venue of its kind that can adjust so quickly to the evolving needs of our industry," he said.
Brian Casey, president of the High Point Market Authority, said that while next fall's premarket dates haven't been established, there are no current plans to change anything based on the Las Vegas move.
"They're kind of doing a disservice to their customers and to the industry, to a certain extent, by trying to splinter things," Casey said.
"We'll watch what they're doing, but frankly, High Point is in a good leadership position for this industry. We have the support of all price points and particularly the high-end sector," he said.
Also, the major and most serious furniture retailers "continue to keep High Point the most important market for their businesses," Casey maintained.
"The aggressiveness coming out of Las Vegas, I think, is an effort to get themselves repositioned in some way," perhaps to lease some of the WMC's empty space to the toy or gift sectors, he said.
Maricich said the WMC is planning to launch a standalone gift and decorative accessories show in the summer of 2010, but said separate events for various segments of the industry have always been a part of the group's long-range business plan. Other industry segments will be evaluated for possible standalone trade shows as well, he said.
In announcing dates for the fall 2009 market, WMC officials also fixed dates for the 2010 and 2011 shows. Those dates are Feb. 1-4 and Sept. 13-16, 2010; and Feb. 14-17 and Sept. 12-15, 2011.
Starting next fall, all Las Vegas markets will operate on a Monday-through-Thursday format.
- Senior Retail Editor Clint Engel contributed to this story.
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Another indication of the weakness of both the industry and the Las Vegas Market. One in Vegas-One in High Point are more than enough.
Benny Salami - 2008-9-10 11:17:01 EDT -
It would be really nice if all parties involved, WMC and High Point, could get together and settle the infighting once and for all. It would seem that neither are going to go away so why not have a spring Vegas and Fall High Point? For the CEO of WMC to say "...We had research tell us that we need yet another show in September..." is utter BS. Everyone has known all along that WMC wanted to push out High Point for furniture shows. We are the only industry that has this many shows a year. Consumer electronics has one show a year and it is a huge, much anticipated, media bonanza WHY??? Because it is once a year, imagine that, all the major things happen at one time instead of spread over 4 (or more) shows a year. To have this many shows only adds to a manufacturers overhead and distracts all parties involved from doing day to day business. As a rep tradeshows take out 7 weeks a year from my road schedule, add on vacations, holidays, etc it quickly balloons to about 11-12 weeks a year that I as a rep am not in the stores of my customers that is more than 20% of my time, not to mention the expenses. So with that said I will shut up, make some phones calls for 2 weeks from now and get ready to pack... again.
Jeff Giagnocavo - 2008-8-10 16:00:19 EDT -
Well I hope they have slot machines in the Showrooms so the salesmen will have something to do.
Robert B Currey - 2008-8-10 12:02:15 EDT -
More and more North American retailers clearly have interest in shopping the several important Chinese shows in September (including the very important Shanghai Fair where even Vegas's largest tenant, Ashley, exhibits and which will end only two days before Vegas).
September is the month of High Point's premarket (maybe taking place at more or less the same time as Vegas?) which is regaining importance. Does the new Las Vegas date indicate they recognize that the big players who shop premarket are not interested in the Vegas exhibitors?
September is one month before what clearly is still North America's most important furniture trade event, High Point Market. So, the new dates will assure that few or no Eastern retailers will shop Vegas and many from the West may also decide to pass?
Is it that I don't understand or is it that they're shooting themselves, the exhibitors, the retailers and the industry in our collective feet?'>Maybe there is something I don't understand...
More and more North American retailers clearly have interest in shopping the several important Chinese shows in September (including the very important Shanghai Fair where even Vegas's largest tenant, Ashley, exhibits and which will end only two days before Vegas).
September is the month of High Point's premarket (maybe taking place at more or less the same time as Vegas?) which is regaining importance. Does the new Las Vegas date indicate they recognize that the big players who shop premarket are not interested in the Vegas exhibitors?
September is one month before what clearly is still North America's most important furniture trade event, High Point Market. So, the new dates will assure that few or no Eastern retailers will shop Vegas and many from the West may also decide to pass?
Is it that I don't understand or is it that they're shooting themselves, the exhibitors, the retailers and the industry in our collective feet?
Jeff Baron - 2008-8-10 11:32:34 EDT -
" and too close to High Point"
Umm I think thats the point...
smith - 2008-8-10 09:51:31 EDT
Congratulations to Las Vegas Market (Part 2)
08/17/2009
