NYIGF® Offers Full Slate Of Seminars & Events For Winter 2011
White Plains, NY – Nearly 30 educational sessions – addressing home and color trends, sustainability, marketing, retail strategies and more – and a wide range of added-value activities – such as special events, product awards, featured displays and buyer promotions – will be presented in connection with the winter 2011 New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®). The Fair runs Saturday, January 29, through Thursday, February 3, 2011, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 & 94. (NOTE: A full seminar and event schedule follows and is available online at www.nyigf.com/programs.)
The educational programming, which will be presented by representatives of industry trade publications and associations, as well as veteran retailers, designers, artists and authors, will provide participants with business-building strategies. The sessions will be presented in several formats, including classroom-style presentations, one-to-one consultations, round tables and open discussion forums.
During the Fair, there will be a full range of onsite and off-site special events, including NYIGF’s “Night on Broadway” featuring tickets to Tony Award winning Best Musical MEMPHIS, “Party For Life,” Gift For Life’s annual industry fundraiser at the landmark Boathouse in Central Park, and the 8th Annual Housewares Design Awards recognizing product excellence in 13 categories.
Other highlights include a series of awards recognizing product innovation; special displays showcasing both children’s products as well as eco-friendly and socially-responsible products; and amenities and promotions for market participants.
“There is more to NYIGF than just the marketplace,” said Christian Falkenberg, NYIGF manager and GLM vice president. “We’ve developed extensive programming to provide retailers with information and inspiration, as well as myriad opportunities to network and enjoy New York City .”
Programming begins in advance of the Fair on Thursday, January 6, with a first-ever NYIGF Orientation Webinar presented pre-show via the Internet. This free, online session will address how to plan, organize and manage time at NYIGF, giving an in-depth overview of the Fair’s layout and categorization, and use of NYIGF’s Online Catalog Gallery as a tool to source products and schedule appointments. During the Fair, daily NYIGF Orientations will help attendees navigate the Fair’s 10 divisions, three locations and 400 product categories.
Some 20+ additional onsite seminars will provide valuable information and advice designed to foster business success. Topics include: home trend concepts, colors and materials; 2012 color trends; visual merchandising; in-store events; sustainability; social media; Fair Trade; and more.
NYIGF has partnered with seven industry associations and trade organizations: The NY Chapter of the International Furnishings & Design Association (IFDA) for a color trend forecast; the Day Spa Association for a three-part session on spa retailing; the Gift & Home Trade Association (GHTA) for individual and group consultations regarding best gift and home business practices; CRAFT (Craft Retailers & Artists for Tomorrow) for a two-day series of “CRAFT Power Hour Table Topics” addressing key business issues for craft retailers; ART (Accessories Resource Team) and RetailForum.biz for open discussions about home retailing issues; and the Fair Trade Federation for an overview of evaluation criteria and business opportunities.
NYIGF also has invited representatives from leading media outlets to present sessions during the Fair. Participants include: Giftware News and Baby & Kids (NYIGF Orientations); Gifts & Decorative Accessories (in-store events); GIFT SHOP (Guerilla Marketing); Metropolis Magazine (sustainability); and WGSN-HomeBuildLife.com (home and interior trends and visual merchandising). Details and registration for all sessions is available online at www.nyigf.com/programs.
Beyond education, several highly-anticipated special events are planned for market week. NYIGF’s “A Night on Broadway” will feature specially-priced tickets to the 2010 Tony Award winning Best Musical MEMPHIS . Tickets for the Tuesday, February 1, performance cost $90 each, with the difference being absorbed by NYIGF. Tickets are available online at www.nyigf.com/programs.
Gift For Life’s annual fundraiser, “Party For Life,” will be held on Sunday, January 30, at the Central Park Boathouse, with all proceeds benefiting DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS – one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the U.S. During the NYIGF-sponsored event, industry achievement awards will be presented to Kathy Ireland of Kathy Ireland Worldwide (Design for Life Award); David Moses of Lazy Susan USA (Bert Tonkin Gift of Giving Award); and Marcia Miller of Mud Pie (Trail Blazer Award). Tickets and sponsorships are available through Steven Williams, at swilliams@diffa.org, or (212)-727-3100.
Additionally, the 2011 Housewares Design Awards Gala & Ceremony, held at the Marriott Marquis on Wednesday, February 2, will honor the best products in 13 categories including Tabletop, Cookware, Bakeware, Lighting, Home Décor and Outdoor Living. The NYIGF-sponsored event is produced by HomeWorld Business with the educational support of the International Housewares Association (IHA). Tickets, which cost $75, are available through Judy Colitz, at (847) 692-0126, or jcolitz@housewares.org.
Free onsite hospitality for buyers includes a Handmade Networking Coffee, sponsored by The Crafts Report, on Saturday, January 29, 8:30am – 10:00am, at the Javits Center; New York’s Newest Welcome Reception, hosted by Gifts & Decorative Accessories, on Saturday, January 29, 8:30am – 10:00am, at Pier 92; a Baby & Child Hot Cocoa Break, hosted by Earnshaw’s, on Saturday, January 29, 3:00pm – 4:00pm, at the Javits Center; and At Home Welcome Reception, hosted by Home Accents Today, on Saturday, January 29, 5:00pm – 6:00pm, at Pier 94.
Additionally, a special “Museum Buyer Networking Breakfast” will be presented on Monday, January 31, 8:30am – 10:00am, at the Javits Center . The free breakfast is hosted by exhibitors: ABRAMS, publishers of fine art and illustrated books; AfricaNow!, an innovative collaboration of modern home decor and accessories celebrating the fusion of African art and life; Artobjects Unlimited, representing companies with creative vision; and Carolyn Forsman Conversation Piece Jewelry, jewelry that spins, sparkles, flips, flashes, glows & winks, snaps & slinks. Retailers should RSVP by January 17, to info@artob.com or hello@carolynforsman.com , or call 212-595-7122.
NYIGF’s SustainAbility: design for a better world® display will return in 2011 to feature hundreds of eco-friendly and socially-responsible gift and home products. Visitors to the display can vote for their favorite products in three categories – most innovative, most sellable, and best use of materials – as part of the Eco Choice Awards, co-sponsored by NYIGF and GREENRetailer magazine.
In January, NYIGF also will introduce a new Baby & Child “Peek-A-Boo” display, previewing new gear, décor, accessories and wearables from exhibitors in this new division. Editors of leading trade publications and representative from top parenting blogs and websites will select their top picks in several categories.
NYIGF also will recognize product innovation in other product categories, with presentation of several other awards – including EX·TRACTS® Best New Product Awards, Home Textiles Market Week® Best New Product Awards, Accent on Design® Awards and the Accent on Design Bloggers’ Choice Awards – during the market.
Finally, NYIGF has partnered with ZAGAT.com to offer free 30-day access to its online Zagat Ratings & Reviews, which features 30,000+ restaurants, attractions and accommodations in New York City . To search – by cuisine, location or special features such as service, décor or “best buys” – visit www.zagat.com/redeem and enter promotion code “GIFT” by February 4, 2011.
NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,800 exhibiting companies featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 85 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nyigf.com.
