Mar 20, 2009

Online Registration Now Open for August 2009 NYIGF

White Plains, NY — Beginning today, retailers can register online for the summer edition of the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®), which takes place Saturday, August 15, through Thursday, August 20, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers, in New York City. The Fair’s interactive website, NYIGF.com, provides participants access to sizeable hotel discounts and advance planning tools, including an online catalog gallery and directory search.

“The ease and convenience of the online registration process makes it user-friendly for our customers,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director. “We especially encourage buyers to use NYIGF’s online catalog gallery, because they can source products and set appointments before market, allowing them to better plan time and money spent at market.”

The NYIGF Online Catalog Gallery, at www.nyigf.com/catalog, lets buyers source products before and after market, through an easy keyword search. Products featured at the winter 2009 market will be live on the site through March 31; and a summer 2009 market preview will be posted on April 1. Use of this interactive planning tool has skyrocketed since its introduction in 2008, with tens of thousands of products available from 175 exhibiting companies during the winter 2009 market.

“The Online Catalog Gallery generated more than four million catalog page views and nearly 8,500 qualified leads for the winter 2009 market,” said Belshaw. “We expect double-digit gains in site traffic and retailer use for the summer 2009 market.”

Travel and hotel discounts also are available to NYIGF participants through nyigf.com, with summer market hotel rates already 5% to 25% lower than winter pricing. “It has never been more affordable to visit New York City!” exclaimed Belshaw. “Most hotels have announced deep discounts with rates now ranging from $159 to $375 for properties within the NYIGF block.”

Through Travel Planners, the official travel agency for NYIGF, hotel confirmations are immediate, no pre-payment is required, and reservations can be updated or canceled online at any time without fees or penalties. In addition to guaranteeing the lowest rate available at all participating hotels, Travel Planners also offers the lowest web-based fares on preferred airlines, and up to 20% in additional airfare discounts. Bookings can be made online at nyigf.com, or by contacting Travel Planners directly at 1-800-221-3531, or 212-532-1660.

Through nyigf.com, new registrants also can request a badge and go through the credentialing process. Admission to NYIGF for retailers is free with advance registration. Past attendees and registrants can update contact information, and add or delete additional staff registrations.

NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,900 exhibiting companies featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. Some 30,000 attendees from all 50 states and around the world are expected. For information and registration, visit www.nyigf.com.