Jun 25, 2010

Nearly 250 Green Products to be Featured in NYIGF’s Sustainability Display

White Plains, NY — Nearly 250 “green” products have passed a stringent application process and will be featured in the SustainAbility: design for a better world® exhibit returning to the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®), August 14-19, 2010, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Acceptance criteria for this curated display include eco-friendly products and production processes, exclusions for certain types of environmental pollutants, and socially responsible, philanthropic or fair-trade oriented business practices.

According to display curator Ilene Shaw of Shaw + Co! Productions, 133 companies – from among nearly 250 applicants – were accepted for participation in the summer 2010 exhibit. While all products share “green” qualities, the display presents a diverse range of product categories, including tableware, stationery, personal accessories, juvenile products, and home décor. The exhibit is located in the Javits Center’s North Concourse near the entrance to Accent on Design®.

“Consumer demand for high quality has entered the ‘green’ arena, and manufacturers are responding with upgrades to both craftsmanship and construction of these products,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “The display this August will feature the highest quality of product since we introduced the display at NYIGF three years ago.”

A full SustainAbility participant list, including detailed product descriptions, is available online atwww.nyigf.com. Additionally, before the Fair opens on August 14, several products within the exhibit will receive NYIGF’s “Degrees of SustainAbility” distinction, indicating the product – and producer’s – level of earth-friendly production and materials. This ranking system, which was introduced in winter 2010 as part of NYIGF’s continued commitment to showcasing best sustainability practices within the gift and home industries, followed NYIGF’s adoption of a “zero tolerance” for any products with VOC; lead (for baby, children and food-related products); aniline dyes, formaldehyde and chlorine (for textiles); and PVC, without recommendation for use and disposal.

The SustainAbility display is complemented by on-site educational programming and “It’s Easy Being Green – Just Ask the Experts!” will be held on Monday, August 16, from 12:00-1:30 pm, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Members of NYIGF’s SustainAbility Task Force will lead an informal and open-forum exploration of environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible best practices. The panel, moderated Susan Szenasy, editor-in-chief of Metropolis Magazine, will include Enrico Bressan of Artecnica; Mark Caserta of 3R Living; Matthew Morris, retail, design, product development consultant; Colleen Pendleton of Aid to Artisans; Jessica Pope of Working Class Studio, SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design); and Jaime Salm of MIO. Tickets are $20 advance and $25 onsite. Advance registration is available online at www.nyigf.com/programs.

Additionally, during market week, retailers will have the opportunity to vote for the most innovative, environmentally responsible products found within SustainAbility display, and winners will receiveEco Choice Award in three categories: “Most Innovative,” “Most Sensitive Use of Materials” and “Most Sellable.” The awards, sponsored by NYIGF and GREENRetailer, will be announced at the conclusion of the August 2010 NYIGF.

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 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 85 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nyigf.com.