Cross-Category Growth

For Las Vegas Market, 2023 kicks off with growth across its 600-plus brand and sales agency showrooms on 37 floors in Buildings A, B and C and hundreds of temporary exhibits offered in the connected Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas and on B2.

Las Vegas Market’s seven floors of gift, seasonal, gourmet and tabletop product expand in Winter 2023 with the addition of a new gift collection on Floor C11. Los Angelesbased sales agency Stephen Young anchors the floor in a new 30,000-square-foot showroom alongside innovative gift and holiday brands GlitterVille, One Hundred 80 Degrees and more. Throughout the gift collection, brands are renewing their commitments to Las Vegas Market, solidifying it as the West Coast market of choice for top buyers.

In Winter 2022, Las Vegas Market offers temporary exhibits in two locations. The expansive Gift and Home Temporaries fill the Expo with hundreds of brands in six categories: Gift, Home, Design, Handmade, Luxe and Immediate Delivery. They are a discovery destination with an engaging presentation of trend-driven, international and emerging brands set for Winter 2023.

The B2 Furniture temporary exhibits present 30-plus case goods, casual furniture, furniture and home décor manufacturers and importers. ❖

NY NOW® to Launch PLAY USA

NY NOW®, owned by Emerald Holding, Inc., a leading national gift and home wholesale trade show, recently announced the launch of a new, dedicated toy destination, PLAY USA, to its market. Beginning with NY NOW’s 2023 Winter Market, taking place February 5-8, 2023, at the Javits Center, PLAY USA will showcase toys, games, and trend merchandise and will capture the spirit of discovery, whimsy, and joy that the products on display are created to evoke.

PLAY USA will provide a venue for the vibrant and essential specialty toy market in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states, as well as national accounts across the United States beginning February 2023, which is traditionally the most important time of the year to discover new and exciting product introductions. The timing of NY NOW creates a viable and important new toy and trend resource for buyers as they look to discover new merchandise for their stores after the end of the year holiday cycle.

“The toy industry is thriving. Despite pandemic-related challenges, toy sales have continued to spike, and the toy market is expected to reach $231 billion by 2028,” said Alana Branston, group vice president, Gift & Home. “We are excited to create a home at NY NOW ‘PLAY USA’ for the toy, game, and trend professionals who want to continue doing business in the industry’s epicenter: New York City. We are looking forward to inviting some of the toy brands on Bulletin, like Candylab Toys, Green Sprouts Inc, Pebble Child, Kaspiland, and many more. PLAY USA is guaranteed to be a vibrant and successful ‘show within a show’ for toy manufacturers, distributors, and retailers alike.”

Through this new venture, NY NOW offers a hub to the U.S., and international retailers, wholesalers, and distributors. ❖

Gift for Life Raises Record Funds for 30th Anniversary $160,000-Plus for Charities Across 15 Events

Gift for Life, the gift and home industries’ sole charity, marked its 30th anniversary by raising more money than ever for charitable causes. The total of $160,495 raised was through 15 fundraising campaigns held during 2022 including several new initiatives. Since its founding in 1992, the all-volunteer organization has motivated the gift and home industry to donate more than $6 million in connection with at-market events, cause marketing initiatives and direct donations.

The record-setting 2022 fundraising benefitted Gift For Life’s current pandemicinspired focus on crisis-related hunger relief as well its legacy mission connected to HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, education and advocacy. The majority of funds was raised for World Central Kitchen through more than a dozen fundraisers. In addition, a record $48,091 was raised by the 2022 Gift For Life/NY NOW AIDS Walk New York team.

Highlights during the 30th anniversary year included several first-time Gift for Life events. Most notably, the organization held its first-ever event during High Point Market, Home vs. Hunger, which raised $18,085 during the October event.

Other new events were Dallas Market Center’s “Showrooms Feeding Families” which raised $22,551; “Come Together” which raised $23,150 at International Market Center’s (IMC) Atlanta Market and Las Vegas Market; “Fine Lines January Market Fundraiser” which raised $11,507; “Seattle Market Gives Back” which raised $5,176; “Shoppe Object Feeds Families” which raised $1,289; and NY NOW winter and summer campaigns which raised $1,071.

In the meantime, donations in honor of Gift for Life’s 30th Anniversary will be accepted through year-end at https://donate.wck.org/GFL30.