Link This | Comments (4)

David Perry

Las Vegas market unleashes winds of change

Late last Thursday afternoon, as I chatted with an industry friend at the welcome center outside the World Market Center in Las Vegas, a thunderstorm moved into the valley. The wind rattled the ceiling ominously. Everyone paused to see if the roof would hold; it did. In the distance, lighting crackled down through dark skies.

 
More than just a thunderstorm was whipping through Las Vegas. All last week we saw the winds of change swirl around the 10-story building that now rises up from the Nevada desert and has burst onto the furniture market scene with the force of a lighting bolt.

 
There had been so much talk about what would or would not happen in Las Vegas – with boosters seeing a bonanza while naysayers predicted nothing more than an expensive, hot party – that it was refreshing to finally get the thing under way so we could all see for ourselves.

 
Here’s my quick take on what happened:

 
First, the negatives.

 
Yes, it was hot. True, they do have air-conditioning in Las Vegas, but it was a hot slog over to the tents on the WMC site, especially when I made the trip four times one day. But I drank enough water and found enough air-conditioned buses and cabs to survive the heat.

 
Yes, there were opening event problems, such as too-long shuttle rides and shuttle drivers who didn’t always know where they were going. One of my shuttle drivers couldn’t find the Mandalay Bay resort, which is a very big thing to miss. Cab drivers told me they weren’t told beforehand where to pick up and drop passengers at the WMC, information that other shows share with them before their events start, they said.

 
Yes, I also heard about expensive showroom set up charges. I heard about a $1,400 bill to vacuum a temporary booth, and other horror stories, some of which are already making the rounds in High Point.

 
Now for the positives:

 
The exhibitors I spoke with raved about the quantity and quality of the traffic. They were ecstatic with what the market delivered – droves of buyers who actually wrote orders. The scene in the World Market Center on Monday was something I’ve never seen in my 22 years in the industry: The halls were packed with excited buyers.

 
Make no mistake about it: This market delivered some phenomenal results. “It’s been better than any other market we’ve been at,” said one exhibitor who also shows in High Point. “We saw more people in one day than we saw in High Point in 15 years,” said another. Added a third: “We saw more retailers in one day than any total market in High Point.”

 
It wasn’t just the incredible retail response that excited the exhibitors I interviewed. Several of them also commented on the energy and enthusiasm that the buyers exhibited. This was in stark contrast to the image of bleary-eyed, gambling-ravaged buyers that critics of the Vegas market had been trotting out. The energy that coursed through showrooms in Las Vegas may well energize retailers across the country, giving the industry a big boost. It was an energy that exhibitors said they had not seen at a market in a very long time. It hasn’t been seen in High Point lately.

 
My overall assessment is that Las Vegas, despite some problems here and there, had an incredibly strong inaugural market. “This was a transforming event,” one major exhibitor enthused. I think he is probably right.  (to add public comments click on "Add your Comment" below, or to email Dave directly click here.)