Dynamic Debut of NY NOW Receives Industry Accolades
Positive accolades, from both buyers and exhibitors have poured in following the much-anticipated debut of NY NOW®, the Market for Home & Lifestyle (formerly NYIGF®), August 17-21, 2013, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Pier 94. NY NOW’s premiere edition, the culmination of a multi-year reorganization and re-branding, featured four new collections, a dynamic new exhibit floor layout and vibrant new graphics, showcased 2,800 exhibitors and attracted more than 32,000 attendees from all 50 states and 74 countries worldwide.
“New York’s market has reached a new pinnacle with the successful reorganization and rebranding of NY NOW,” said Christian Falkenberg, NY NOW director and GLM senior vice president. “The energy was palpable among both buyers and suppliers.”
The market’s reorganization created four refined, dynamic product collections: NY NOW HOME with 1,100 exhibitors on Level 3 of the Javits Center; NY NOW LIFESTYLE with 1,000 exhibitors on Level 1; NY NOW HANDMADE, with 500 artisans and artisanal products in two Javits Center locations; and NY NOW NEW! with 250 exhibitors at Pier 94. Artisan Resource™, a first-of-its kind artisanal volume sourcing event ran concurrently with NY NOW at Pier 94.
The new, synergistic show floor layout was well-received by both exhibitors and buyers, who welcomed its new efficiencies in cross-category shopping. Throughout the show, exhibitors noted both the quantity and quality of buyers, and many saw new business as a result of their new positioning within the show’s collections. “We’re having a great show – our first two days at Javits were stronger than all of last year at the Pier,” said NY NOW HOME exhibitor Natalie Smart of Mr. Brown/Julian Chichester, “The Javits Center is a great space, and the show’s reorganization makes a lot of sense.”
NY NOW LIFESTYLE exhibitor Cloey del Santo of Toss Design, added “Traffic has been great. We have a great new location and are attracting new buyers. We had more international buyers than other shows and we also opened several new accounts with domestic buyers.”
Barbara Hoff of Top Shelf Jewelry, an exhibitor in the NY NOW HANDMADE collection, enthused, “Our first day was the best in our 25 years exhibiting in this market. The Javits North is a wonderful home for us and we love the reorganization. It’s very ‘gallery-like’ and buyers seem impressed with the variety of product in the Designer Maker section.”
A full four-day schedule of seminars and social programming supplemented exhibit floor offerings, with more than 40 educational sessions, industry social events, product awards and feature displays among market activities. The seminar series, sponsored by industry publications and associations, addressed design and color trends, social media and online marketing, visual merchandising and retail strategies, and importing. Industry events included the 62nd Annual Retailer Excellence Awards and NY NOW’s popular Night Off-Broadway event.
Market activities also included recognition of innovative product design through category-specific award programs, including the Baby + Child Best New Product Awards; Gourmet Housewares Best New Product Awards; Home Textiles Market Week Best New Product Awards; and Personal Care + Wellness Best New Product Awards. Winners from these four category awards were eligible for the first-ever “Best of LIFESTYLE” and “Best of HOME” Awards, with mimish’s Storage Beanbag and Couture Dreams’ Chichi Throw taking top honors through “Peoples’ Choice” online balloting.
Exceptional product design was also recognized with the Accent on Design Awards and the Accent on Design Bloggers’ Choice Awards. Within NY NOW’s SustainAbility: design for a better world® exhibit, the Eco Choice Awards rewarded the most innovative and environmentally responsible products. Additionally, the New York Metro chapter of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) identified their “Best of the Best” suppliers in seven categories. Award winners are detailed online atwww.nynow.com.
The winter 2014 edition of NY NOW, the Market for Home & Lifestyle, will run Saturday, February 1, through Thursday, February 6, 2014, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers. NY NOW’s four comprehensive collections – HOME, LIFESTYLE, HANDMADE and NEW! – will encompass 100,000 products in 400+ product categories. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nynow.com.
