The New York market, comprised of the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF), Home Textiles Market Week and  New York Gift Week at 7West, closed out the winter 2008 round of major gift trade shows; and a strong showing it was, although not without its challenges and concerns. The Super Bowl and Super Tuesday primaries added to the buzz.

Chris Collins, vice president and general manager of 7West New York remarked, “Excitement and enthusiasm hit a new high during our Winter Gift Week with the New York Giants and New England Patriots playing in the Super Bowl, and the NY Fashion Week running concurrently with the show. This really added to the energy level throughout the week and ultimately added to what was once again a very successful market — underscoring the old saying, there’s no place like New York.”

Early buying days drew traffic to 7W in advance of the NYIGF opening, and that flow increased over the course of the week to a level that at one point was compared to Atlanta because of crowded elevators. With the continued march of new showroom openings, many of which join other exhibitors (such as TAG) to exhibit in New York exclusively at 7W, the permanent showroom building had a lively ebb and flow of activity.

For the New York International Gift Fair, the one-time shift in date pattern creating a Friday/Saturday opening affected the normal flow of buyer traffic, and even had some attendees scrambling to change their travel plans. But overall attendance over the course of the show was strong and steady. The reorganized layout, which refocused some categories including the At Home division, relocated a number of exhibitors, and introduced the new Studio lifestyle and the A+ young designer’s sections, definitely freshened up the look of the NYIGF — but it also challenged buyers to ferret out some of their favorite vendors. Overall, the reorganization met with success with several veteran exhibitors reporting being “discovered” by buyers who had never seen their lines before.

“The long-term changes and improvements we introduced this winter were well-received by attendees and exhibitors alike, and helped position the show as a ‘must-attend’ market for retailers — whether shopping vertically by product category or horizontally for related merchandise,” stated Dorothy Belshaw, show director and GLM senior vice president.

New York reinforced much of what we have previously seen at the other winter markets: peacock motifs, blue and green colorways, great displays and lots of cool products. And of course, eco products continue to top the list of popular trend themes with a growing number of exhibitors highlighting Green product, as well as some highlighting Green manufacturing processes such as wind generated power and waste water treatment.

The SustainAbility design for a better world themed display showcased more than 100 products at this market, and continued GLM’s commitment to the concept. As Belshaw said, “SustainAbility is an issue of growing importance to the gift and home industry, and NYIGF is committed to showcasing socially responsible products and producers. The summer 2008 edition will feature an exhibit highlighting global sustainability efforts — whether through product, process or community building — as well as a related multi-part educational program.”

That’s it for DoubleTake from the winter markets. Look for us again when we start the next round of summer shows. Until then, stay up-to-date on the latest industry news through all our e-products: giftsanddec.com, Product Wire and Gifts & Dec Direct, as well as our print edition.

— Caroline Kennedy, Bessie Nestoras and Meredith Schwartz

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