Oct 31, 2009

EXTRACTS Showcases Handmade Personal Care in Winter 2010

White Plains, NY — In response to the growing demand for handmade and natural/organic personal care products, EX·TRACTS® will introduce a new exhibit floor grouping of artisanal products and producers at winter 2010 edition of the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®). In addition, EX·TRACTS will welcome several new companies to the semi-annual market and will offer a full slate of educational programs and after-hours events for market participants.

As part of a new initiative to facilitate sourcing for buyers of artisanal and organic personal care products, a grouping of companies with handcrafted soaps, cleansers and candles will be created on the EX·TRACTS show floor. Confirmed participants to date include: B. Witching Bath Co. (herbal handcrafted bath and beauty products); Bluecorn Naturals (beeswax, soy, and aromatherapy candles); McEvoy Ranch 80 Acres (olive oil body care); Merriweathers, Inc. (all natural soaps and body creams); Sapothecary (handmade botanical soaps); and Summer House Natural Soaps of Cape Cod (small-batch, cold-pressed soaps).

“As educated consumers become more aware of how products are made, they look for organic and handmade labels,” said Melissa Engongoro, EX·TRACTS sales manager. “This new artisanal showcase within EX·TRACTS will make it easy for discriminating shoppers to source handcrafted personal care resources.”

In addition to this new focus, several companies returning to EX·TRACTS – Ecoya; Echo France; TOCCA, LLC; and Twist & Pout Lip Balm – will expand their exhibit space for the winter 2010 market. EX·TRACTS also will welcome four newcomers, relocating into EX·TRACTS from other NYIGF divisions: Estaban (from Accent on Design®); Nippon Kodo and Rigaud Candles (both from NYIGF’sGeneral Gift division) and Summer House Natural Soaps of Cape Cod (from NYIGF’s New York Newest division) in January 2010.

EX·TRACTS will continue and expand its partnership with the Day Spa Association this winter, offering show specials and other specific benefits to association members during the market. In return, the association will present a spa-focused seminar – “The Beauty of Green” – on Tuesday, February 2, as part of the full slate of NYIGF educational programming. The Day Spa Association-sponsored session is scheduled for 9:00 – 10:30 am, with networking and continental breakfast, starting at 8:30 am, at the Javits Center. Tickets are $25 for Day Spa Association members and $40 for guests.

During the 90-minute session, Sheila Brody from The Green Spa & Wellness Center (Brooklyn, NY) and Karen Sinclair Drake of Sophyto Organics (Naples, FL) will discuss how consumer demand is making sustainable and ethical business practices as important as the green products themselves. Sinclair Drake also will address the transparency that exists today as a result of certification, blogging and social networking and explain the perils for “greenwashers” who underestimate consumer intelligence.

NYIGF offers a full slate of education programming for market participants, with retail-focused subjects including color trends, marketing through social media and “green” retailing opportunities. Complete details and registration are available online atwww.nyigf.com/programs.

A series of after-hours events will offer EX·TRACTS participants unique “Only in New York” opportunities, including the Gift For Life Stakes Are High Casino, a fundraiser on January 31, benefitting DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS; A Night on Broadway featuring HAIR on February 2; and free market week admission to the New Museum – a home for contemporary art, an incubator for new ideas, and an architectural contribution to New York’s urban landscape – compliments of NYIGF, and its partner showrooms at 7 West 34th Street, 230 Fifth Avenue, 41 Madison and 230 Fifth Avenue. For event information and registration, visit www.nyigf.com/programs.

Once again, the EX·TRACTS Best New Products Awards will recognize product innovation and excellence, with awards given in five categories – Bath & Body, Beauty Accessory, Cosmetic & Fragrance, Natural/Organic and Packaging – along with one overall “Best of Show” distinction. A panel of trade and consumer editors will select finalists and winners based on innovative product concept, industry need, aesthetic appeal, creative use of materials/technology and creative packaging, and honorees will be announced on Tuesday, February 2. Click here for summer 2009 EX·TRACTS Best New Products Awards winners.

EX·TRACTS, one of eight NYIGF divisions, features some 100 exhibitors of cosmetics, perfumes, skincare, bath & body care, beauty accessories, hair care, natural/organic products, apothecary gifts and well-being lines. EX·TRACTS runs Sunday, January 31, through Thursday, February 4, 2010, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Show hours are 9:00 am – 6:00 pm daily, except for Thursday, when the show closes at 12:00 Noon.

For EX·TRACTS exhibitor information contact Melissa Engongoro, sales manager, at (914) 421-3223, ormelissa_engongoro@glmshows.com. Additional information and registration is available online at www.extractsny.com.

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 31,000 attendees from all 50 states and around the world are expected. For information and registration, visit www.nyigf.com.