Jun 4, 2012

AmericasMart July Market Is Unmistakably Extraordinique

When the world of wholesale buying and selling comes together at one time and in one place this July, the venue and the experience can only be AmericasMart and the incomparable The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market® and The Atlanta International Area Rug Market® – all unmistakably extraordinique.

The world’s single-largest home, gift, rug and apparel product collection – extraordinary by every measure – plus all the advantages of aunique global marketplace designed for business and built for buying assure retailers from every U.S. state and more than 90 countries an experience beyond comparison.

Leading the line-up for the July 11-18 (Temporaries July 13-17) home and gift market and the July 12-15 rug market are these AmericasMart signature exclusives:

· Greatly expanded HOME product resources, continuing the category’s rapid growth, including:
o Global Views’ new 13,000 square-foot flagship corporate showroom housing its complete line of decorative accessories, lighting, furnishings, wall art, rugs and more on Floor 14 of Building 1.
o HD Home, the epitome of furniture and accessory design, featuring its celebrated juried collection on Floor 1 of Building 1… with a special preview on Thursday, July 12 from 2-6 p.m.

· Expanding GIFT category resources, including:
o The expanded WWRD (Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton) showroom, now featuring a broader and deeper selection of its classic china, crystal and other tableware lines on Floor 9 of Building 2.
o 42 new showrooms in Building 2 and Building 2 WestWing
o The newly configured corridor on Floor 7 of Building 2 and Building 2 WestWing, giving buyers added ease and convenience for navigating the campus and finding new product resources.
o The inaugural showing of Lovelinks America, a Denmark-based gift and accessories company, in its first-ever showroom on Floor 16 of Building 2.

· The GOURMET collection in Building 2 WestWing, Floor 8 continues growing to meet the building consumer demand for housewares and home entertaining options:
o The eight new exhibitors are a la carte, Art & Cuisine, Bormioli Rocco Glass, Café D Amore, Design Imports, KAF, Nusteel and Sherry Matthews.

· The TEMPORARIES are conveniently located throughout the campus in designated, easily shopped collections. Among the highlights for July:
o The Made in America collection expands to meet the growing consumer demand for products produced in the United States.
o A reinvigorated Pampered Pets category helps buyers capitalize on the on the multi-billion dollar pet industry.

(A full list of new, expanded and relocated showrooms is available online at www.AmericasMart.com.)

As always, AmericasMart delivers a comprehensive experience of product, education and entertainment during July Market. Among the business building, informational seminars offered to help educate and inspire:

· Interiors Forecast, Fall and Winter, 2013, Friday, July 13
Jamie Thomas, trend forecaster, provides a projection of the design considerations influencing interior décor for both commercial and residential spaces for Fall and Winter, 2013. Thomas keys on consumer behaviors and key drivers like color, materials, hardlines, softlines and lighting. Building 1, Floor 14, Seminar Room, 1-2 p.m.

· Design with Personality, with Jillian Harris, Friday, July 13
Join Designer Jillian Harris of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” as she discusses how design trends and experiences relate to creating an interior with personality. Building 1, Floor 14, Seminar Room, 3-4 p.m.

· What to Buy in July: Gift Edition, Saturday, July 14
Julie Kenney of The Gifting Experts presents her Top 10 Gift Lists in consumer categories featured at AmericasMart. She’ll help prepare buyers’ businesses for a profitable season. Building 2 WestWing, Floor 6, Escalator Lobby, 11 a.m.-noon

· Chef Curtis Stone, Cook – Create – Celebrate, Saturday, July 14
Curtis Stone, Chef and Host of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” shows how to whip up some of his favorite dishes. He emphasizes keeping the process simple. Book sale and signing will follow. Building 2 WestWing, Floor 8, Demonstration Kitchen, 2-3 p.m.

(A full list of seminars, events, classes and demonstrations is available online at www.AmericasMart.com.)

Highlighting Market, ICON HONORS 2012 is the most important and anticipated night in the gift and home industry. The ICON HONORS 2012celebration is scheduled for Saturday, July 14 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Cocktails will be served at 7 p.m., and the dinner and 2012 Honors Presentation begin at 7:30 p.m. Honors will be presented to home and gift retailers, manufacturers, sales agents and service providers from across the industry as the premier event of The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market celebrating global innovation. Celebrated American comedian, television and radio personality and author Jeff Foxworthy will take the stage, and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter guitarist Kenny Loggins will step into the AmericasMart spotlight at ICON HONORS 2012 as featured musical entertainer. Purchase tickets and tables atwww.americasmarticonhonors.com.

About AmericasMart
AmericasMart Atlanta is the nation’s only global wholesale marketplace housing the world’s single-largest collection of home, gift, area rug and apparel merchandise. The largest of AmericasMart’s 14 annual Markets and shows, The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market and The Atlanta International Area Rug Market in January and July are the ignition switch for global retailing with buyers from every U.S. state and more than 90 countries discovering product in more than 1,400 showrooms and more than 2,500 temporary exhibiting companies. Located in downtown Atlanta, the AmericasMart complex contains more than seven million square feet of space. It’s a huge global stage on which manufacturers, designers and sales representatives unveil new lines, launch new designs and introduce new categories – all for the benefit of buyers seeking all that is fresh and first in the home, rug, gift and apparel arenas. For more information, please visit www.AmericasMart.com.