Jun 26, 2011

IV Pole Pals Wins The Next Big Thing Contest

Dallas, TX – Dallas Market Center, the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace, today announced The Next Big Thing winner, IV Pole Pals. The Next Big Thing is a national search for the best new products from throughout the country.

The winner was announced during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market on Saturday, June 25 and awarded a prize package worth more than $12,500 including $2,500 cash, exhibit space at the January 2012 Total Home & Gift Market, a feature profile in one of Dallas Market Center’s award-winning publications, and consultations from leading industry experts regarding branding, public relations, visual merchandising and much more.

“Congratulations to IV Pole Pals and its founder Deric Salser,” said Bill Winsor, president and CEO, Dallas Market Center. “We’re glad to have had the opportunity to introduce IV Pole Pals to the marketplace and look forward to working with them and celebrating their success.”

IV Pole Pals was selected from three contest finalists including The Feeling Bag and The Pillow Bag. The finalists received airfare, hotel and exhibit space to show their products during Market in front of more than 50,000 attendees. To learn more about this year’s finalists go to www.dallasmarketcenter.com/contests/thing.

The winner was selected based on a combination of judges’ feedback as well as popular vote via a social media poll. This year’s judges were: Lori Eddleman, co-founder of Three Designing Women; Rawlins Gilliland, retail consultant; Caroline Kennedy, editor-in-chief of Gifts & Decorative Accessories; and Myra Prescott & Julie Tobolowsky, last year’s The Next Big Thing winners and founders of Clothes & Go.

IV Pole Pals are cheerful decorations that attach onto IV poles adding something special for patients needing their spirits lifted. The “pals” come in many shapes, sizes and themes and snap on and off any standard IV pole. They are made of durable plastic and have a convenient clip that wraps around the pole to secure it in place.

Deric Salser of Sunnyvale, Texas, founder of IV Pole Pals, was inspired by his 8-year-old daughter, Alexandra, who was diagnosed with an incurable disease called LCHAD. To take the fear out of needing an IV, Salser’s wife crafted homemade decorations and attached them to Alexandra’s IV pole. The decorations were the inspiration for the product line that now consists of more than 40 different “pals.” Visit www.ivpolepals.com for more information.

Dallas Market Center will continue to host The Next Big Thing, now entering its fifth contest, during the June Total Home & Gift Market. Information regarding next year’s contest will be available on its website in early January 2012. For additional information on The Next Big Thing, visit Dallas Market Center’s website at www.dallasmarketcenter.com or email thenextbigthing@mcmcmail.com.

Dallas Market Center holds four Total Home & Gift Markets (January, March, June and September) and five Apparel & Accessories Markets (January, March, June, August and October) each year. Retail buyers are offered new lines and products at Dallas Market Center throughout its permanent showrooms and temporary exhibition space.

About Dallas Market Center
Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of more than five 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 Dallas Market Center website is available at www.dallasmarketcenter.com.