May 10, 2011

Holiday & Home Expo To Offer Best Looks For Spring/Holiday

DALLAS – Holiday & Home Expo®, the nation’s only tradeshow devoted exclusively to permanent floral, seasonal décor and related decorative accessories, is set for June 22-28, 2011 at Dallas Market Center, the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Holiday & Home Expo will run in conjunction with the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market (June 22-28). The FINDS Dallas Temp Show will be open June 23-26.

Exhibitors will showcase thousands of new Christmas and spring holiday products including permanent botanicals, dried and preserved flowers and foliage, trees, containers and baskets, ribbon, floral supplies, wedding decorations, pre-made arrangements, display products, garden décor, home accents, party decorations, packaging and gift wrap, and accent furniture.

Holiday & Home Expo features exhibits in the International Trade Plaza (The Plaza) as well as additional showrooms in the adjoining World Trade Center and Trade Mart. New exhibitors for June 2011 in The Plaza include Gold Eagle, #1F117 (permanent floral, containers and home décor); Seasons Direct Imports, #1F100 (seasonal décor); and New Image Group, #2F212 (fine floral arrangements paired with quality containers). Dallas Design Supply, a new 20,000-square-foot resource for immediately available seasonal décor, floral containers and supplies, candles, ribbon, party supplies and permanent botanicals, is also opening in The Plaza in June.

During the show, floral expert J M.H. Schwanke AIFD, PFCI, AAF will lead three walking tours:

“What’s New in Permanent Botanicals” at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 23;

“Colors & Trendspotting” at 11 a.m. Friday, June 24; and “Display & Merchandising” at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 25. Meet in the J Lounge, #1F423.

Schwanke will also conduct a technology lab on “Making Sense of Social Media” at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 24 in the J Lounge, #1F423. This session will be limited to 10 people. To reserve a seat, call 214-583-8792.

In addition, Schwanke will present two mini-clinics in Outdoor Living, the 31,000-square-foot shared showroom of outdoor furniture, décor and gifts. He will present “Adding Sales with Container Gardens” at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 23 and “Enhancing Your Displays with Flowers” at 2 p.m. Friday, June 24.

Bill Harper AIFD, AAF will present the floral design program “Spring Sensations” at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 23 in the Seasons Gallery, The Plaza. Harper, the author of “Nature Takes Over: The Designs of Bill Harper”, will create spring floral designs, sharing his love of nature and his special gift of seeing ordinary objects in an extraordinary way. “Show Me the Money: Financing Your Business,” presented by Mark Hare, senior specialty finance officer with JP Morgan Chase bank, will explain what bankers look for when deciding whether to loan money and how to improve the chance of a loan request being approved. The program will be at 9 a.m. Friday, June 24 in Seminar Suite #554, World Trade Center (WTC).

Leatrice Eiseman, who heads the Eiseman Center for Color Information and is executive director of the Pantone Institute of Color, will present “Color Directions: Twists, Turns and Trends” at noon Saturday, June 25 in Seminar Suite #554, WTC. Boxed lunches will be available for $5, quantities limited.

Buyers will have the chance to win $500 cash prizes Thursday-Sunday, June 23-26 by visiting and shopping Holiday & Home Expo exhibitors. To enter, buyers must show a $500 purchase order from Holiday & Home Expo exhibitors at the Holiday & Decorative Association desk in The Plaza lobby prior to the day’s 4 p.m. drawing.

During a Western-themed barbecue bash from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23 buyers and exhibitors will have the opportunity to enjoy live country and western music, refreshments, networking and other evening surprises.

Showrooms will be open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with participating showrooms offering extended hours until 8 p.m. on Friday. Check the Dallas Market Center website for a complete list of seminars and special events. Also, to keep up-to-date on market information visit Dallas Market Center on Facebook and Twitter.

Attendees may contact the Dallas Market Center 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 at www.dallasmarketcenter.com.