May 10, 2011

FINDS Dallas Temp Show Debuts New Category & Hosts Special Guest Artists

DALLAS –Dallas Market Center, the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace, today announced that the FINDS Dallas Temp Show, being held June 23-26, will debut a new category, launch hundreds of new lines, and present dozens of special events. The growing FINDS show has shifted its date pattern. FINDS will now be open Thursday through Sunday, with Cash & Carry at Market Hall open through Monday. FINDS continues to grow year after year – a 30 percent increase over the past five years. The show will take place during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, June 22-28.

Nearly 500,000 square feet of the latest products are presented in FINDS in the following categories: Bath & Body, Cash & Carry, Christmas & Floral, Collegiate & Souvenir, Design, Fashion, Furniture, Garden & Outdoor, Gift, Handmade & Vintage (new category), Hill Country, Home, Kids, Paper & Party, and Red Haute. One of the many highlights of the show will be artists from the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Collection.

“FINDS will offer more unique products than ever before with the addition of Handmade & Vintage and the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Collection,” said Cindy Morris, COO, Dallas Market Center. “We continue to look for new resources to present to our buyers and this summer’s show will do just that.”

The introduction of Handmade & Vintage FINDS will feature independent creators and designers presenting home, gift and jewelry/fashion accessories from regional and national designers using many techniques and supplies to make their products. Handmade & Vintage FINDS will be located on the World Trade Center (WTC) 13th floor.

Designs FINDS will relocate from the WTC 13th floor to the Trade Mart (TM) 1st floor atrium. The move presents Design FINDS in a prime location and allows for continued growth of the temporary show. In January, Home FINDS and Hill Country FINDS relocated to the WTC 6th floor to align with similar products in permanent showrooms on the floor.

Other exciting news for June includes the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Collection that will be located on the TM 1st floor atrium next to Design FINDS. Artists from the largest international folk art market in the world will visit Dallas Market Center. More than a dozen artists will travel to Dallas before heading to Santa Fe, New Mexico for their annual International Folk Art Market. Each artist is making a difference for their families and communities through the sales of their unique handmade products. For more information on the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, visitwww.folkartmarket.org.

The Next Big Thing finalists, IV Pole Pals, The Feeling Bag and The Pillow Bag, will exhibit their products in FINDS on the WTC 12th floor. The winner will be selected based on judges’ feedback and voting results from Facebook. The finalists receive complimentary airfare, hotel accommodations and booth space to showcase their products. The winner will be announced on Saturday, June 25 at 3 p.m. and receive a prize package worth more than $12,500 including a $2,500 cash prize. For more information on the contest and finalists, visit www.dallasmarketcenter.com/contests.

Other FINDS Dallas Temp Show highlights include: Sweet FINDS Giveaway, Thursday-Sunday from 8:30 to 6 p.m. – Dallas Market Center is giving away thousands of dollars in prizes including dinner, hotel nights, money off purchase orders, and even a free trip to Market! Buyers can pick up sweet treats from information booths (WTC 6, 12 & 13 and TM 1) and the Market Hall registration desks, unwrap and possibly be a winner (while supplies last).

“Show & Tell Tour: Best of FINDS”, Friday at 3 p.m., meet at the back escalators by FINDS, WTC 13th floor – Retail Expert Rawlins Gilliland will take retailers on a tour of the hottest items and lines that are showcased in the temporaries.

Art & Design Affair, Friday at 6 p.m., The Grand Pavilion at the Trade Mart – Attendees will explore the special Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Collection and check out the new Design FINDS location while enjoying customized cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres, worldly sounds from Phonophreaks Collective, demonstrations by the special guest artists, and extended shopping hours.

Handmade & Vintage FINDS Party, Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m., WTC 13th floor – A celebration for the newest addition to the FINDS Dallas Temp Show with specialty cocktails and tasty hors d’oeuvres. Buyers will find one-of-a-kind pieces that can’t be found anywhere else and have the chance to capture market memories in a vintage-inspired photo booth.

A complete list of all special events and seminars can be found at www.dallasmarketcenter.com/markets/market-events.aspx?m=550. Also, to keep up-to-date on market information visit Dallas Market Center on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/dallasmarketcenter and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dallasmarket.

Attendees may contact the Dallas Market Center’s in-house travel agency, Market Travel®, for substantial travel and hotel discounts by calling 1-800-DAL-MKTS.

About Dallas Market Center

Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of nearly seven million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men’s, western, women’s and children’s apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 78 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than $8 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex. The website is available atwww.dallasmarketcenter.com.