HFN Named Icon Honors National Media Partner
Atlanta, GA—HFN will serve as national media partner for the 2010 ICON Honors in an alliance bringing the trade magazine together with the Gift & Home Trade Association (GHTA) and AmericasMart Atlanta to create and produce the inaugural ICON program, which celebrates innovation across the home and gift industry spectrum.
As the national media partner, HFN will affirm and champion ICON Honors among domestic and international independent retailers, product manufacturers, sales representatives and service providers—all of which are eligible to pursue awards recognizing superior accomplishment in Innovation, Contribution and Achievement in product design and packaging, technology applications, sustainability commitments, cause-product influence and 14 additional honors. Competition for the Honors will be by individual submission in the Innovation and Contribution categories, and by independent nomination in the Achievement category.
“HFN and GHTA parallel each other in many dimensions,” says George Kacic, GHTA board chairman emeritus and ICON Honors founding partner. “We address and serve the convergent needs of the gift and home communities across all channels: product manufacturing, buying, selling and servicing. HFN is perfectly seated to help advance the ICON Honors cause,” Kacic adds.
HFN’s partnership with AmericasMart Atlanta and GHTA advances the ICON Honors Charter, which holds the program and its sponsors to celebrate the legacy of creative expression, champion the genius of independent business and applaud the triumph of extraordinary performance.
“HFN transcends the home, rug and gift communities with unmatched depth, reach and influence,” notes Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., AmericasMart president and chief operating officer. “The magazine aligns with ICON’s mission as a superb example of innovation and ingenuity—the very qualities ICON honors,” adds Portman.
The magazine’s position as national media partner both acknowledges its role as a principal media resource within the home and gift industry, according to GHTA board chairman Doug Cofiell and president Beth Lang. “This partnership clearly recognizes HFN’s reach and influence among the retailers, manufacturers, sales professionals and service providers who will participate in ICON Honors,” note Cofiell and Lang.
The introduction of HFN’s partnership sets in motion a series of ICON Honors milestones, including the 2010 National Call For Entries and seating of the Judges Panel, all in advance of the inaugural event scheduled for Sunday, July 18, 2010 at AmericasMart’s July 2010 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market and Atlanta International Area Rug Market.
Created exclusively by AmericasMart Atlanta in collaboration with GHTA, ICON Honors is the first international program fully embracing the gift and home categories in an independent recognition of exemplary achievement across the industry triumvirate: product manufacturing, product sales representative businesses and retailing.
