NYIGF Enhances Website Search Capabilities
White Plains, NY – A series of enhancements to the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) website – www.nyigf.com – include more interactive search tools designed to deliver more targeted and comprehensive search results. The new product search tool, complemented by NYIGF’s Online Catalog Gallery, offers retailers access to more detailed product and vendor information through a simple keyword search.
“Buyers can now search in broader strokes for product information, and get a more complete picture of the breadth and depth of products available at NYIGF,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “Not only does this make searches more efficient, it also facilitates the identification of complementary resources.”
Keyword searches will now extend beyond exhibitor-supplied product category designations to include relevant product listings found in exhibitor catalogs posted to NYIGF’s Online Catalog Gallery, increasing the potential to find suitable resources. For example, a search for “candles” not only will return a list of companies with this keyword in their exhibitor profile or product category listing, but also will return links to all NYIGF Online Catalog Gallery vendor catalogs with candles.
Additionally, keyword search results are now weighted based on relevance and search results are prioritized based on the greatest number of product matches. Buyers also will be able to identify which field (e.g. Catalog Gallery, category, etc.) matched their request.
Following product searches, buyers can create and save “walking lists” of NYIGF exhibitors, which can be used onsite during the Fair. These archived searches can be adjusted and updated with each show cycle to reflect new product offerings and information.
Usage of nyigf.com’s interactive features has grown exponentially since they were first introduced two years ago. Buyers who create an online profile can access customized exhibitor lists, exhibitor show specials and new product announcements. Attendees also can register online, in advance, for free admission to NYIGF. Those who have attended past shows can update their contact information, and add or delete names of additional staff. The website also provides access to seminar and event information as well as travel and hotel discounts.
NYIGF also will continue to offer an on-site mobile application for basic exhibitor and category searches for ease of navigation and orientation on the exhibit floor. The mobile application will be adapted for all smart phone platforms and will be available for download as of January 1, 2011.
NYIGF runs Saturday, January 29, through Thursday, February 3, 2011, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 and 94. 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.
