Both sides of the story: Las Vegas market debuts
By Lisa Casinger -- Home Accents Today, 8/1/2005
The overall feeling for those attending and exhibiting at the Las Vegas Market last month is it was a resounding success, though as expected with any new venture, there are some kinks to work out. Some buyers were enthralled with the myriad choices in dining and entertainment, while others were disappointed that more high-end vendors weren't showing there, comparing the selection to the Tupelo market.
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| A spectacular finale to the opening day ribbon cutting ceremony, Cirque du Soleil performers wowed the crowd with their own ribbon performance. |
Beforehand, vendors saw Las Vegas as a way to reach more West Coast customers, and they did, but they were pleasantly surprised when retailers from Florida attended, as did many buyers from up and down the East Coast; and they were buying.
"Retailers are here and they are writing. It is really exciting to see," said Lois Del Negro of Global Views.
Mark Phillips, owner of The Phillips Collection, had a great opening day in the Las Vegas Convention Center, which was not on the WMC campus, and said there was "quality traffic."
"I think High Point has to seriously consider how we have to cherish each and every buyer because they say 'yes' in Las Vegas," Phillips said. "You have to deal with perceptions, and the perception about High Point is you get gouged, you can't get a meal and the Longhorn will run out of vegetables at 9:30."
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| Actress Lisa Rinna emcees the ribbon cutting with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and market officials. |
Others see Las Vegas as a regional market, possibly spelling the demise of some of the California venues.
"We are looking for this to be our regional market, but it could become a strong national market, too," said Elizabeth Eaton, a sales rep with Ariel Art. "High Point — it's the mecca. I think it will always be the mecca, but Las Vegas has spent the money to really make this market happen."
Charlie Snider of Charlie's Furniture, Amarillo, Texas, said he liked the venue and will be glad when they have everything in one place and offer more lines.
"Are you kidding, why are we here? Because it's new and exciting, it's historic," said Mary Towne, Carolyn's Country Corner, Delafield, Wis.. "We love Las Vegas, it's easier to get here and the prices (for hotels and meals) are better."
Bluefish Trading showed in the World Pavilions on the WMC campus and though National Sales Manager Michael Fisher was impressed with the traffic, he said there are improvements that could be made.
"The signage for the Pavilions was less than satisfactory," Fisher said. "The management needs to have more signs to direct traffic to and through the Pavilions and maybe an enclosed, ventilated walkway instead of just an awning." Ventilation inside the Pavilions, as well as the drayage charges are other concerns he said he hopes will be addressed.
Fisher expected more business from the Las Vegas market, but said he was pleased because most of their visitors were new customers for the four-year-old company and about 75% of his leads came from California.
"It's a very viable market and we're committed to being here," Fisher said. "I think the January show will be 25% bigger and that could hurt Atlanta"
Opinions are mixed on how this market will impact High Point. One astute observation came from a buyer who's been in the industry for decades and attends virtually every show. She attended the Las Vegas Market and said while it is not a draw for her and people of her generation — Baby Boomers — the younger buyers she saw in Vegas loved it, and eventually this could impact attendance at High Point and other furniture markets.
Many buyers didn't attend Las Vegas, opting instead to attend upcoming international shows in Paris and Frankfurt or wait until the newness wears off and the kinks are worked out. Despite the positive vibes emanating from the show, not everyone thinks it's the panacea to the industry's woes.
Mark Maxwell, owner of The Bronze Monkey in Marietta, Ga., didn't go to Las Vegas nor the recent Atlanta market because his business has been off for a couple of years. He also said he "doubts they'll have anything different in Vegas than they do in Atlanta," which he can shop any time.
Leslie Matus, a small retailer from Miami who owns D.I.G.S., also didn't attend for financial reasons and is waiting to hear feedback on the show before she decides about January.
"We did not attend Vegas, we thought we'd let them work the bugs out and let the inaugural syndrome' wear off," said Brian Edwards of Aunt Zelda's Furniture, Macon, Ga., "Inaugural syndrome being where everyone talks about how neat it is and what it does and doesn't have, and as a result, not much business gets done."
Edwards also is forgoing High Point in October and might try Las Vegas in January.
Teresa and Randy Jesse, owners of The Emporium, Wausau, Wis., didn't attend the Las Vegas show for several reasons, most importantly time and money.
"The summer shows are fill in shows for us because we do our major ordering in January in Atlanta," Teresa Jesse said. "During the summer I'm looking for wow items or trend product and I check with my top six vendors to see what they've added. Plus, Chicago is only four hours away and we can do that pretty quickly."
Atlanta-based Metropolitan Deluxe didn't attend the Las Vegas show because it already had its fall floor set from its April trip to High Point, but plans to do so in the future. Metropolitan Deluxe has stores in Birmingham, Ala., Charleston, S.C., Destin, Orlando and Tampa, Fla., Durham and Charlotte, N.C., and Nashville, Tenn.
"We are going to work it into our schedule for the next one," said Thomas Barker of Metropolitan Deluxe. "Our mix comprises furniture and gift. A furniture market schedule that jibes with the gift shows, as the scheduling for Vegas does, will make it easier to plan our assortment for each season."
Jeff Baker, owner of Baker's Fine Gifts & Accessories, Columbus, Ind., said he didn't attend Las Vegas mainly because he hadn't read that much about it and had never been approached to attend. He splits his time between New York and Atlanta shows now, but said he might be inclined to attend a Las Vegas show if they did a better job marketing it.
Richmond, Va.-based Trappings' owners didn't attend Las Vegas. Co-owner Laura Strickler said one reason for not going was because they're in the middle of a store renovation, but she also said their buying needs are met with trips to High Point, Atlanta and New York.
"We also thought it might be good to let the market run a few times, work out any kinks, etc. before we go," she said. "We certainly might go in the future, but for now, it's just not necessary."
Laura Atwood, owner of DeLacey's Lane, Wamego, Kan., wanted to hear feedback and comments from the inaugural show before deciding if she needed to add it to her schedule. Though she attends High Point every other year, she concentrates on Dallas and Atlanta, as well as some regional markets for her store needs.
"However, from what I've heard so far, it looks like Vegas may be my next furniture market as opposed to High Point," Atwood said. "It certainly would be a lot less expensive to travel to Vegas than to North Carolina. If Vegas continues to grow and offer a wide variety, I may never go back to High Point."
