Jul 14, 2016

LAMKT and LA Mart merge locations

Responding to buyer demand for a comprehensive, convenient location for LA’s order-writing resources, Urban Expositions and the LA Mart will reorganize the Winter 2017 edition of Los Angeles Gift and Home Market Week. As part of the process, Urban Expositions will relocate 200+ of the LAMKT Show’s South Hall order-writing exhibitors from the Los Angeles Convention Center to the LA Mart permanent showroom building’s 2nd Floor exhibit hall.

Back by popular demand, LAMKT’s World Style, Fair Trade, Jewelry Cash & Carry, Vintage exhibitors will return to their original Kentia Hall location at the Convention Center – renewing the “bohemian bazaar” buying atmosphere retailers have always enjoyed.

Further strengthening the market experience for buyers and vendors alike, the two management teams have also shifted LA Gift and Home Market Week dates to a February pattern to avoid conflicts with other industry shows and give marketgoers access to significant downtown LA hotel rate savings. The LA Mart permanent showroom Winter Market will run Wednesday, February 15 through Monday, February 20; LAMKT temporary exhibits, now at the LA Mart, will be open Friday, February 17 through Sunday, February 19, 2017; and LAMKT temporary exhibits at the Los Angeles Convention Center |Kentia Hall will be open Friday, February 17 through Monday, February 20, 2017. As always, one badge provides access to both venues and complimentary shuttle service will be provided between venues and select host hotels.

“The LA Mart has always enjoyed a productive and cooperative alliance with Urban Expositions, and this extraordinary, expanded partnership with Urban marks the beginning of a new era for the Los Angeles Gift and Home marketplace,” enthuses Frank Joens, Sr. Vice President, General Manager, LA Mart. “The thousands of leading lines showcased in the LA Mart showrooms, combined with Urban’s 200+ major exhibitors will locate order-writing manufacturers in one convenient setting, creating an even more easy, efficient, and exciting market experience for our valued buyers. The downtown Los Angeles area has been undergoing a true renaissance, offering unprecedented opportunities for cutting edge lifestyle trends to emerge in an environment that is both entertaining and business-friendly. Our new synergy with Urban and the LAMKT Show reflects the revitalization going on all around us in the Los Angeles community and, indeed, throughout California.”

Founded in 1958, the LA Mart is the West Coast’s premier resource for gift, home/garden decor, design, holiday/seasonal, fashion accessories, toy, stationery, personal care, gourmet, tabletop, textiles, custom furniture, and lifestyle lines.

“The LA Mart and Urban Expositions came together several years ago to co-host Market Week with one goal in mind — to create a marketplace truly befitting this trend-driven, strategic trade show city and the Southern California/western region’s vibrant retail audience,” adds Dirk von Gal, Senior Vice President, Urban Expositions. “We have pulled off a true trifecta for Winter 2017. Bringing the selection from so many of our order-writing exhibitors together with the premier offerings of the LA Mart’s world-class showrooms gives buyers a one-stop resource for items they just won’t find at other markets.  And, the mystique of Kentia Hall is back! We currently have a fabulously committed group of World Style exhibitors working with us to bring back many of the old favorites from years past as well as a group of incredible new socially conscious exhibitors and lines for retailers to explore.”

The reorganization is designed to make shopping LA Gift and Home Market Week more productive and profitable than ever. The order-writing exhibitors previously featured within the Gift, Trend, Makers Market, Personal Style and Boardwalk categories in South Hall of the LA Convention Center now join more than one half a million square feet of gift, home, furniture, and lifestyle brands found in the LA Mart’s 140 national and regional showrooms. From top brands and emerging artists to California specialties, retailers will find thousands of fresh, fun lines – including many exclusive and unique to the LA marketplace.

What’s more, moving LAMKT’s destination categories — World Style, Jewelry Cash & Carry, Vintage — back to their original Kentia Hall location, along with the new LA Value section, also brings back one of Market Week’s most popular buying experiences. Showcasing a rich blend of fashion, home decor, fair trade, handicrafts and other unique artisan resources – available for immediate delivery and order-writing — from around the globe in a high energy marketplace setting , Kentia Hall offers a true destination for retailers seeking those eclectic designs to help their stores stand out.   As an added bonus, Kentia Hall’s four-day, Friday – Monday pattern ensures that buyers will have plenty of time to shop all venues.

LA Gift & Home Market Week’s new February date pattern also offers the ideal opportunity to enjoy the best the city has to offer. From tranquil temps and sunny days unmatched in other parts of the country to the ever-growing roster of dining and entertainment options   the revitalized downtown area offers, LA is the perfect city to mix business with pleasure. What’s more, the timing ensures no overlap with other trade shows –giving buyers and vendors alike the flexibility needed to maximize their participation.

The expanded partnership between the LA Mart and Urban Expositions further strengthens the co-promotion alliance for LA Gift and Home Market Week. Both entities will work closely together to expand buyer outreach and marketing efforts to highlight the expanded and enhanced offerings.