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.