Nov 28, 2011

California Gift Show Announces January 2012 Winter Market Schedule at LA Mart and Los Angeles Convention Center

MMPI’s California Gift Show (CGS) is ready to welcome and entice the international buying community this January as retailers initiate a new year of on-trend purchasing, beginning in Los Angeles at the West Coast’s largest Gift + Home Market. A new mid-week date kicks-off the show. This one-day shift forward to a Wednesday start is designed to maximize buyer efficiency while at Market, facilitating greater engagement between the opening of CGS’s permanent and temporary venues.

Continuing to emphasize the region’s distinction for both product innovation and its influence on consumer purchasing habits, CGS reinforces the mystique of the California lifestyle with a robust product presentation of 1,200 temporary exhibitors and permanent showrooms at its two show locations. From artisanal, hand-hewn jewelry, home furnishings and art developed by local product designers and artists to the sophisticated, well-merchandised offerings from industry powerhouses, buyers will discover a vibrant mix of new-to-market, regional and regionally-inspired offerings sought by today’s aspirational consumer.

“California Gift Show delivers a unique marketplace for sourcing both a dynamic breadth of coveted, leading lines while also introducing the region’s cutting-edge craftsmen driving the industry towards the bespoke movement,” said Jeff Sampson, vice president of marketing, California Gift Show/L.A. Mart/L.A. Mart Design Center. “This substantive blend of established and emerging product influencers coupled with our celebration of California and its sway upon the international consciousness reinforces our mission in creating a relevant buying experience to serve the modern retailer.

Buyers attending CGS can expect a powerful line-up of West Coast inspired trends shaping today’s retail experience. Sustainable, hand-crafted, repurposed, eclectic and original products curated alongside items that are colorful, fashionable, playful and personal … all taking cues from the California ideal … reflect the niche to global goods distinguishing the CGS Market. Across all categories disposable is passé; meaning and value remain key.

Enhancing the Market’s access to 10,000-plus products, CGS will celebrate approximately 50,000 square-feet of new, expanded and recommitted permanent resources available year-round at L.A. Mart. Veteran showrooms reinvesting in their business and the Los Angeles marketplace include Fine Lines Company, Stephen Young, FEM Sales and Joanne & Company, joining new resources such as Dosvella and Home & Beyond to serve CGS buyers and designers. “We are extremely pleased that the success of our showrooms is demonstrated by their renewed commitment and profitable growth with us,” said Mark Furlet, vice president gift and home, California Gift Show/L.A. Mart/Chicago Merchandise Mart. “Our showroom partnership philosophy is critical to the success and health of our tenant community, as evidenced by our investment in these businesses. Ultimately, our buyers are the beneficiary of a vital and evolving resource destination providing entrée to manufacturers known worldwide and to the innovations for which California is renowned.”

CALIFORNIA GIFT SHOW: TWO BUYER RESOURCE LOCATIONS FEATURING FIVE DISTINCTIVE DESTINATION MARKETS ALL WITHIN CONVENIENT PROXIMITY CGS buyers have access to more than 10,000 lines from over 1,200 manufacturer resources, many satisfying the California-centricity of the show.

CGS at Los Angeles Convention Center
Two major exhibition halls featuring more than 150,000 square-feet of established and new-to-market manufacturers presenting a cross-section of regional, national and international products from an array of in-demand categories.

South Hall Gift
Presenting an extensive collection of contemporary and traditional gift resources including fashion accessories, gourmet, seasonal, garden & home, kids, spa, gift, resort and stationery, special focus is given to emerging products unique to California that inspire consumer trends worldwide.

Kentia Global Marketplace
An international exhibitor mix featuring original artifacts, ethnographic art, home décor, accessories and fair trade merchandise among a collective of world style, jewelry (cash+carry) and vintage offerings.

Fair Trade As consumers gravitate towards global product and embrace social responsibility, it has become an imperative for retailers to include ethically produced merchandise in their store’s offerings. In economic partnership with the Fair Trade Federation (www.fairtradefederation.org), CGS will present exhibitors who promote Fair Trade in a dedicated pavilion area.

CGS at L.A. MART
Day-to-day or just for Market, L.A. Mart is the essential West Coast marketplace providing retailers and designers across the West and around the globe with leading lines and fresh boutique resources.

Gift + Home Showrooms Permanent showrooms featuring premium product lines, from boutique to internationally branded gift, home and lifestyle merchandise. Showroom events include new product demonstrations, special appearances, open houses and more.

Design Center* Southern California’s singular, comprehensive source for nationally branded, designer licensed and custom manufactured furniture and accessories, defining today’s West Coast lifestyle and the modern, well-designed home.

Beckman’s Handcrafted Show(TM) L.A. Fresh and functional artisanal, handmade products offering contemporary apparel and jewelry to classic home accents

BUYER AMENITIES
Buyers Lounge at L.A. Mart Offering complimentary coffee and computer stations with internet access and seating to relax and refresh during Market.
Late Night Shopping at L.A. Mart Extended shopping hours on Friday, January 20, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. including food, drinks and entertainment throughout L.A. Mart’s permanent Gift +
Home and

Design Center showrooms.
Free Inter-venue Transportation Complimentary shuttle service between select host hotels, L.A. Mart and Los Angeles Convention center.
Free Parking Present your badge and photo I.D. at L.A. Mart registration for free parking at L.A. Mart’s South and East lots (while space permits).
Dining At the L.A. Mart, enjoy a variety of breakfast and lunch options from the Market Café, the new California mainstay with salads and sandwiches, as well as from a collection of Southern California’s finest food trucks. Explore additional dining options at the Convention Center in both South Hall and Kentia Hall.

Concierge Service Available to make your visit as productive as possible, the concierge service is your personal guide to assist with any questions regarding showroom and exhibitor locations, product lines and show events.

CALIFORNIA GIFT SHOW DATES/HOURS
Wednesday, January 18 – Tuesday, January 24

L.A. Mart 1933 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Gift + Home and Design Center Showrooms: January 18 – 24
Hours: Wednesday – Thursday and Saturday – Tuesday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday, Late Night Shopping: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Beckman’s Handcrafted Show L.A.: January 20 – 23
Hours: Friday – Monday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Los Angeles Convention Center:
1201 South Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015
South Hall Gift & Kentia Global Marketplace Temporaries: January 20 – 23
Hours: Friday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Monday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For a complete listing of CGS show information, please visit: www.californiagiftshow.com.

For information on L.A. Mart Gift + Home, visit www.lamart/gift.com. Image downloads are available at: www.pressroom.mmart.com/cgs/image-gallery/ and at www.facebook.com/californiagiftshow

ABOUT L.A. MART and CALIFORNIA GIFT SHOW
L.A. Mart® is a registered trademark of MMPI. The California Gift Show® is a registered trademark of MMPI. Beckman’s Handcrafted Show(TM) L.A. is a registered trademark of MMPI. L.A. Mart is home to nearly 200 permanent year-round, residential, decorative accessory and gift showrooms serving the retail and interior design industries. The California Gift Show Temporaries feature over 800 temporary exhibitors of lifestyle merchandise, home décor and furnishings, in the newly enhanced and expanded Temporaries at L.A. Mart and Los Angeles Convention Center, making the California Gift Show the preeminent market for gift and home furnishings products on the West Coast. L.A. Mart is located at 1933 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90007. For more information call 800.LAMART.4 or visit www.californiagiftshow.com or www.lamart.com.

MMPI is a trade show and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space. MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year.

MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart and 350 W. Mart Center in Chicago; Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; Boston Design Center in Boston; L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and Washington Design Center and Federal Center Southwest in Washington D.C.

Vornado Realty Trust, owner of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.