Gift & Home - August 2010

jump-start on the coming seasons.
With the continual addition of new
vendors and resources this is a
must have for any retail operation
in the country.“
In addition to the tremendous
selection, the highlights for the
2010 Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort
Gift Show include:
• $15.99 Hotel Rates for Buyers:
To help retailers keep those travel
costs down, Urban Expositions has
bought down rates to offer hotel
rooms for buyers starting as low
as $15.99 at the Tropicana Hotel,
which has recently undergone a
multi-million dollar renovation.
For rates and to make a reserva-
tion, visit www.lvsouvenirshow.
com.

• Goody Bag Giveaways: The first 100 buyers to arrive at the show on Wednesday, September 22 and Friday, September 24 will receive a special shopping bag filled with free gifts from many of the show’s exhibitors.

• National Association of Retail Buyers (NARB) To Host Seminars and Networking Event: NARB will host two educational programs during the Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show touching on Store Planning and Social Media. Make plans to also attend the NARB Social on Wednesday, September 22. Look for more information about this coming soon.

• Zoo & Aquarium Buyers Group (ZAG) Networking Events: ZAG will host a variety of networking events for its members, including hosting a hospitality suite, breakfast networking sessions and a special reception on Thursday, September 23. Look for more details coming soon.

The event will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall 3 & 4, 3150 Paradise Road Las Vegas, NV 89109.

Exhibitor/Attendee Information

For exhibitor information, contact Lisa Glosson, Urban Expositions,

1690 Roberts Blvd, NW, Suite

111, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Phone 678/285-3976, fax 678/285-7469, email: lglosson@urban-expo.com. For show information or to pre-register, attendees contact Cece Lee at clee@urban-expo.com or Jhana Jordan at jjordan@urban-expo.com or call 800/318-2238 or visit www. lvsouvenirshow.com.

Autumn Fair 2010: 25
percent Bigger

Hot on the heels of an order-bust-ing Autumn Fair International (AFI) 2009, the largest event of the season for the Home and Gift trade has already overtaken last year’s show size, with a major increase in floor space and 25 per cent more companies expected to participate.

AFI 2010, to be held September 5-8, will offer by far the biggest and best selection of new product and market-leading brands available to the trade in the run up to Christmas, with many exhibitors also previewing early Spring ranges for buyers with an eye on future trends.

With only about one month to the opening of AFI2010 new and returning exhibitors include: Denby, Silea, Amefa, Present Time, Aroma Home, Cool Trade Winds, RMS International and Product Solutions. Smaller, design-led companies and niche brands will once again find a home in the Hall 3 Spotlight area, where exhibitors such as Tot Seat, 2 Little Boys and Gifted by Nature will present their unique new product to buyers.

Managing director Louise
Young said: “Autumn Fair exhibi-
tors have already taken more floor
space that we went to show with
last year. This is a very encourag-
ing indicator of how well the trade
has weathered tough economic
conditions, and also that our own
efforts to support and grow the
market are bearing fruit.”
“AFI 2010 is reaping dividends
on the back of significant invest-
ments. These include spectacular
new features, innovative market-
ing initiatives that ensured atten-
dance rose to 28,686, and a rates
freeze that made the shows as cost-
effective as possible for many ex-
hibitors.

“These are the only shows in
the home and gift market that
have seen their attendance fig-
ures increase over the past three
years, and exhibitors are voting
with their feet by coming back
in droves. Following on from
two very successful shows at
Autumn 2009 and Spring 2010, I’m
delighted to say that we’re seeing
an influx of lapsed and returning
customers for the forthcoming
events.”
One of the major new attractions
of AFI 2010 will be the Accessories
at Autumn Catwalk Café in Hall
4. The feature will be created ex-
clusively for Autumn Fair by Rah
Productions, which launched the
Pandora Catwalk Café to stunning
effect at The Jewelry Show during
Spring Fair International 2010.

Elsewhere at the show, visitors to the Kitchen, Dining & Housewares sector can look forward to another edition of the hugely popular Cook Live!, which was trialled at AFI 2009 and then drew packed-out crowds to see world-class celebrity chefs in action throughout SFI 2010.