NEWS BRIEFS

SJT Partners with Trees.Org to Plant 50,000 Trees a Year

Now a Portion of Every Wood Plaque SJT Sells Helps to Plant a Tree

SJT Enterprises, a 36-year-old consumer products company, has announced their partnership with Trees.org to plant 50,000 trees a year.

“SJT Enterprises is the world leader in low cost, USAmade wood plaques, so it only makes sense we partner with someone that could plant thousands of trees in our behalf.” said SJT President and Founder Tim Smith. “Trees for the Future – or Trees.org – has planted millions of trees and with this partnership, they’ll be able to plant about 50,000 more each year. Consumers like to see that a portion of their purchase will go to a cause when they buy something. What’s better than buying a wood plaque and a portion of that will plant a tree?”

(To learn more, visit www.Trees.org.) ❖

Davine International, Inc. Owners Retire

“Francine and I have decided to retire and we would like to thank all our loyal customers for the continued support afforded our company. The last 20 years brought us much pleasure, and hearing your successful sales stories told us we had the pulse of today’s consumer. Again, a big thank you.”

– David Barsalou, Davine International Inc.

Las Vegas Market Featured Panelists for MarketExpanded Trend Exploration

At-Market Instagram Takeover Featured Seven Retail, Design and Lifestyle Experts

Las Vegas Market’s signature Market Pros program featured Ahead of the Curve panelists for the first time for the August 22-26 market. Ahead of the Curve showcased Las Vegas Market product chosen by design tastemakers in collaboration with Luxe Interiors + Design.

“Las Vegas Market’s proprietary product trend programs are unmatched tools for buyers to discover and source must-have products,” said Dorothy Belshaw, International Market Centers Chief Marketing and Customer Officer. “Ahead of the Curve’s trend identification and Market Pro’s real time exploration of market resources [combined] to create trend education that [inspired] buyers as they [planned] their trips to Las Vegas Market and through their in-person sourcing.”

The Market Pros are retail, design and publishing tastemakers who are providing market tips and posting live from Las Vegas Market to provide a comprehensive look at the gift, home décor and furniture offerings of the market on LasVegasMarket.com and the @LasVegasMarket Instagram page.

Market Pros Marie Burgos, Jamilyn Fournier, Jay Jeffers and Na- dia Watt also served as panelists in the Market’s signature Ahead of the Curve program, which identifies trends and must-have products from Las Vegas Market exhibitors. The trend discussion session, which was presented both as a pre-show webinar and an at-market program, featured the design experts in conversation with Kathryn Given, senior design and market editor for Luxe Interiors + Design.

Las Vegas Market is the leading home furnishings and gift market in the western U.S., presenting 4,300plus furniture, home décor and gift resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market features thousands of product lines, allowing for cross-category commerce among these industries.

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Gift for Life’s “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good.” Campaign Raises $28,000Nearly for World Central Kitchen during Las Vegas Market

Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and home decor industries’ leading charitable organization, announced today that the Las Vegas edition of its “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good.” fundraising campaign yielded nearly $28,000 for World Central Kitchen, an organization which distributes individually packaged, fresh meals in communities that need support during times of crisis.

The campaign, which ran in connection with this summer’s Las Vegas Market (August 22-26), raised a total of $27,997 for World Central Kitchen. In addition to a $10,000 matching donation from International Market Centers, individual donations, ranging from $50 to $2,600-plus, were received from Alexander Eck, Beatriz Ball, Corksicle, Design Works Collective, eNewton, Fine Lines, Global Views, Karma Gifts, Just Got 2 Have It! and Maileg, Monica Loving and others.

“Food insecurity continues to be a critical issue for our nation, in a year marked by the pandemic as well as fires and hurricanes,” said Cole Daugherty, chair of the Gift for Life board. “We are grateful for the industry’s generosity – whether from individuals or organizations – for World Central Kitchen and its efforts to aid individuals in need.”

Through Gift for Life’s “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good.” campaign, donors of at least $50 were eligible for Las Vegas Market raffle drawings. Prizes were secured by International Market Centers and donated by Connections Housing, Las Vegas Market’s official travel partner.

After the success of Gift for Life’s Summer 2021 “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good.” campaign – which collectively raised $79,000-plus through fundraising connected with the Atlanta Market, Las Vegas Market and Retail Excellence Awards –the Gift for Life board voted to continue the “Feed the Hungry. Feel the Good” campaign into and through the Winter/Spring 2022 market cycle. Details about specific initiatives will be announced in the coming weeks.

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. In 2020, with COVID-19 straining traditional food security safety nets like school feeding programs, city services and food banks, WCK pivoted to safely distribute individually packaged, fresh meals in communities that need support and launched the Restaurants for the People program to scale nationwide. This program meets critical needs on two fronts: buying meals directly from restaurants and delivering them to Americans who need help. To date, the program has worked with 2,500 restaurants to serve over 12 million restaurant meals and have disbursed more than $135 million dollars directly to restaurants owners in 400 cities across 35 states. For information, visit www.wck.org.

Gift for Life was founded by Peter Schauben of Appleman Schauben in 1992 in response to the tragic loss of industry lives to AIDS. The organization’s first meeting at the National Stationery Show brought together a cross-section of the industry’s lead- ing publishers, market centers, sales reps, manufacturers and retailers – all willing to convene and work together towards a common goal. Since that time, Gift for Life has raised nearly $6 million for AIDS research, education, treatment and care. More information is available at www.giftforlife.org.

New PavilionCampground Launches at IGES

The Campground @ IGES is a new pavilion specially geared to outdoor and recreation buyers, including over 500 campgrounds, national and state parks, and marinas. Exhibitors will have the unique opportunity to feature fresh merchandise across boating and fishing equipment, outdoor and tactical gear, sundries, wellness and more.

In a statement, Show Manager Sarah Wilson said, “Campground @ IGES is retail’s next-generation destination for all things related to outdoor living, camp, and adventure travel. With a forecasted revenue of $7.1 billion in the next five years, this category caters to those who were able to thrive dramatically during the pandemic. We are excited to welcome returning customers and new brands to the show; we think buyers are going to have a lot of fun there and make great connections for their businesses for years to come.”

According to the show’s website, 93% of the thousands of industry buyers at IGES have purchasing responsibility, with many looking to expand their offerings now. Attend the show and reach a new audience of outdoor industry enthusiasts. In addition to larger, national buyers, the show welcomes regional attendees who come to IGES to find the industry’s newest and most innovative

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Trade Show News (From page 20) products.

Exhibitors can reach diverse buyers from the souvenir, resort, and tourism industries, including campgrounds and RV parks, marinas, resorts, caves, national and state parks, and more. In 2021 alone, the campgrounds and RV parks industry is expected to bounce back quickly from the pandemic and travel restrictions with an increase in revenue to $6.2 billion. And it’s not slowing down with a forecast of $7.1 billion coming in the next five years. The vacation option’s low cost and flexibility are attracting more and more millennials and Generation X consumers who make up 77 percent of its revenue currently. At the Campground @ IGES, attendees are at the right place to find targeted affordable products in this fast-growing market, according to the IGES website.

World’s Largest Western & Equestrian Trade Shows Enjoys Summer Success at Dallas Market Center

WESA’s International Western/ English Apparel & Equipment Market celebrates its second Dallas edition

Dallas Market Center recently hosted the world’s largest trade events for western and equestrian buyers and brands, the WESA’s International Western/English Apparel & Equipment Market. The event took place along with the Dallas debut of the AETA International Trade Show presented by the American Equestrian Trade Association.

The shows were held at the same time as the Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market and KidsWorld Market. Taken together, the trade events welcomed thousands of buyers from 41 states. The number of first-time attendees set a new record and accounted for 16% of total attendance.