Feb 19, 2013

GLM Introduces Innovative Online Product Directory

NYNOW365, a new online product directory created by GLM, facilitates retailers’ searches for products and exhibitors at NY NOW®, the Market for Home & Lifestyle (formerly the New York International Gift Fair®). The image-based directory, available online at www.NYNOW365.com, allows exhibiting suppliers to create collections of products to showcase to retailers and other buyers registering and attending NY NOW.

“We have created NYNOW365 as part of GLM’s mission to improve efficiencies of product sourcing and distribution within the markets we serve,” said Charles G. McCurdy, CEO of GLM. “As a proprietary online resource available 365 days a year, NYNOW365 allows GLM to be the most robust market-maker in the industry.”

Full use of NYNOW365 is available to all NY NOW registrants and other qualified buyers through a “Request Invite” form on the site, www.nynow365.com. Retailers can browse or search for specific suppliers and products. As part of each search, buyers are given options to “like” the product, and/or “pin” the product to their own online product board for future reference.

A “Popular” tab allows buyers to see products which have been searched for and “liked” by other site users. In turn, users can see product boards made public by other users. Additionally, buyers can request product information, including wholesale pricing and availability, and can request at-market meetings with exhibitors.

“NYNOW365 is the ‘next generation’ of online product directories available to our industry,” said Christian Falkenberg, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “It allows users not only to find information about tens of thousands of products and companies, but also enables them to categorize, to “like” and to share their finds.”

The site also has several features specific to exhibiting suppliers, including the ability to upload an unlimited amount of product information– including images and videos – with minimal effort and at no cost. Content Specialists are available to assist companies in preparing directory listings and uploading content. Exhibitors also receive retailer leads in real time and at no charge, and leads are scored and prioritized to indicate buyer interest, along with a monthly data and trend report detailing the NYNOW365 audience. Enhanced retailer data, trends and analytics, delivering deep market insights, will be made available as a paid option starting in April 2013.

“NYNOW365 has been live in Beta mode for three weeks, and already we have nearly 10,000 products loaded onto the site. When we officially launch the site in April, we expect to have 17,000+ products from hundreds of exhibiting suppliers, as well as additional functionality allowing for more advanced analytics,” said Jason Brown, chief digital officer for GLM. “This proprietary GLM product extends well beyond traditional online catalogs and traditional exhibitor search engines. GLM has pioneered the use of PHP and Drupal to develop a visual product directory, capable of housing hundreds of thousands of products, in a format that is both robust and scalable.”

NYNOW365 is available at www.nynow365.com in advance of the summer market launch of NY NOW, the Market for Home & Lifestyle. NY NOW (formerly NYIGF®) will run Saturday, August 17, through Wednesday, August 21, 2013, 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 – encompass 100,000 products in 400+ product categories, from nearly 2,800 exhibitors. 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.

GLM creates face-to-face and online buying, selling and networking platforms for designers, product developers, manufacturers, reps, retailers and operators through tradeshow and event production, online community development and association management. GLM’s events include NY NOW, International Contemporary Furniture Fair®, Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition, National Stationery Show®, Surf Expo and SURTEX®. Additional information is available online at www.glmshows.com.