Oct 20, 2016

AmericasMart celebrates 60 years at January 2017 market

When the Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market opens for business at AmericasMart Atlanta  on January 10, 2017, the global retail and design community will mark and celebrate its staging as the 60^th consecutive winter show under continuous Portman Family ownership and management and the latest and largest in a continuing legacy of industry-leading market events.

“The six decades linking January 1957 and January 2017 chronicle a business driven toward the future, compelled by innovation and unfailingly committed to the industry we love and lead,” notes Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., vice chairman, president and chief operating officer of the AmericasMart marketplace envisioned and founded by his father, John C. Portman, Jr., who continues as chairman and chief executive officer.

“While the nature of the home, rug, gift and apparel industries has evolved with unimaginable speed over those 60 years, our mission sustains the course set by our founding compass:  to create markets of necessity powering the growth of the tens of thousands of buyers and sellers choosing to do business here.  That was, is and forever will be our passion,” adds Portman.

The January 10-17, 2017 Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market jump-starts global retailing as the first major buying opportunity of the year with new and expanded showrooms and temporaries brimming with product introductions, complemented by industry gatherings, thought-leading programming and celebrations befitting the legacy of the internationally celebrated marketplace. 

Home and rug trends start with The Atlanta International Area Rug Market featuring the National Oriental Rug Show (Wednesday, January 11-Saturday, January 15), staged and produced in exclusive collaboration with The Oriental Rug Importers Association (ORIA). New for 2017, the Market’s celebrated rug temporaries will be incorporated into the home furnishings and accents tradeshow, showcased in their own section alongside coordinating home product during the tradeshow dates.  Other Rug Market highlights include educational opportunities and AmericasMart’s signature celebration of innovation in rug design and production, America’s Magnificent Carpets Awards.

The gift and home furnishings Market—running Tuesday, January 10 through Tuesday, January 17(Temporaries: Thursday, January 12 – Monday, January 16)— will give buyers a long litany of industry-leading experiences topped by:

Diamonds of Design, a new vignette gallery presented in partnership with “Southern Living,” “Coastal Living” and “Sunset” magazines. Celebrating AmericasMart’s diamond anniversary, the exhibition assembles the most brilliant designers from coast to coast in Atlanta to bring to life their favorite design moments, eras and lifestyles of the last 60 years.

Opportunities for buyers and exhibitors to support communities in need including the second annual Home for Hope day of giving supporting City of Hope, and the annual Party on Peachtree, the single-largest event benefitting Gift For Life (GFL) and Young Gift Executives (YGE).

Presentations from design, entertaining, lifestyle and culinary trendsetters and thought leaders including interactive events in the Fiesta Dinnerware Demonstration Kitchen. 

AmericasMart’s world-renowned Gift category continues its industry dominance with an unmatched depth and breadth of new product in its General & Specialty Gift, Gourmet & Housewares, Tabletop & Gift, Children’s World, Home Accents & Gifts and The Gardens permanent collections and corresponding temporary collections.

AmericasMart’s Home collection becomes the epicenter of American design as trend-leading designers and retailers gather to network, connect with thought leaders and source product from the industry’s top home furnishing, décor and rug purveyors. The comprehensive HOME collection features top manufactures in the Home & Rug, Home Accents & Fine Linens, Home Furnishings, HOME & DESIGN categories and complementary Holiday & Floral/ Home Décor collection, which celebrates its 20^th anniversary in January 2017.

AmericasMart’s industry-leading temporary collection features over 3,000 booths with growth in both the home and gift offerings.  Highlights of the tradeshow include the return of its newest temporary collections ANTIQUES and DÉCOR | Light and Lifestyles, the integration of rug into the home furnishings temporaries, a largest-to-date On Trend gift collection and an unmatched luxury product offering in the HIGH DESIGN LUXE, Gourmet LUXE, Tabletop LUXE, Gardens LUXE and HD Home collections.