WHITE PLAINS, NY. – September 20, 2016 – This summer, NY NOW®, the Market for Home, Lifestyle + Gift, delivered another show-stopping event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. With tens of thousands of new and on-trend products across the HOME, LIFESTYLE, and HANDMADE Collections, buyers and industry attendees had a robust selection from which to choose, no matter what they were looking for. The wide range of exhibitors, a strong seminar program, an emphasis on the international community, a number of awards programs, and more, combined to provide attendees with all of their purchasing and industry needs in one comprehensive event.
“There is nothing quite like experiencing the excitement felt around New York City in the summer, and at NY NOW, that energy and buzz could be felt radiating throughout the halls of the Javits Center” said Randi Mohr, Vice President and NY NOW Co-Director. “Time and time again, our attendees tell us that NY NOW is consistently a must-attend event and this summer, the positive feedback has been astounding.”
In particular, attendees commented:
“The summer ‘16 edition of NY NOW was fantastic. I think lots of people had a great show; buyers and exhibitors alike. I wrote almost 60 orders, approximately 80 percent with new vendors, and still have at least seven to eight reorders to finalize,” said Kristen Kreider of National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, PA. “There was so much energy and buzz in the aisles I think the upbeat vendors, busy booths, aisles, and product mix had everyone feeling optimistic and buying with confidence. This was my 70th consecutive trip to NY NOW!”
Additionally, Amy Rutherford of Red Barn Mercantile in Alexandria, VA, said, “Aside from an act of God or an emergency appendectomy I do not miss NY NOW. It’s easy to navigate, easy to get to, easy to shop, and easy to find cool new products. NY NOW is where I go to maintain my competitive edge. With the quality of their exhibitors, I can always find something new and exciting that keeps my store interesting. In a time when we all struggle to define ourselves and stay relevant, we need a market that attracts emerging brands and good design. No other market does that as well as NY NOW.”
Exhibitor Highlights
NY NOW continues to be a global stage for brands to share their newest products with buyers and the industry. The summer 2016 market boasted more than 2,700 exhibiting brands, representing a significant increase, and including almost 650 exhibitors that were brand new to the market with another 348 companies that returned to NY NOW after a hiatus.
“This year’s market proved to be another successful event and we are thrilled with the number of exhibitors that decided to make NY NOW a must-attend event for their brand, “ said Scott Kramer, Vice President and NY NOW Co-Director. “Several sections of the exhibit floor, including those within the LIFESTYLE Collection as well as Accent on Design® and Handmade® Global Design, were sold out. We also saw an uptick in our Artisan Resource® section, which had its largest footprint since its inception.”
Greg Dyer of Little Giraffe, an exhibitor in the Baby + Child section, commented, “We have seen a ton of international buyers. This is the show to attend. We will not miss a NY NOW show, haven’t in 16 years!”
In addition, Donna Salyers, Wholesale Director of Fabulous-Furs, an exhibitor in the Home Furnishings + Textiles section, said, “We were on the cover of O, The Oprah Magazine due to the success of this show. The level of audience is like no other.”
International Spotlight
The spotlight on the international community at NY NOW continued to shine this summer with 402 exhibitors from 62 countries, showcasing products including gifts, glassware, home décor and furnishings, stationery, textiles and more. In addition to individual companies, the market hosted 20 government-sponsored pavilions featuring 200 additional companies from their respective countries including the United Kingdom, France, Taiwan, Portugal, Japan and more. These pavilions provided a gateway into the unique and exciting offerings from each respective country’s up-and-coming artists and designers.
Award Programs and Recognition
More than 70 percent of exhibitors surveyed launched new products exclusively at the summer 2016 market, and with tens of thousands of unique products that were on display, there was an endless amount of innovation that attendees encountered.
NY NOW’s acclaimed bi-annual Accent on Design® Awards program once again recognized product design excellence, innovation and creativity among NY NOW’s Accent on Design exhibitors. Exhibitors Louise Gray, YIELD and Martone Cycling Co all were honored with an Accent on Design Award distinction.
The popular “Best New Product” Awards once again recognized and celebrated these extraordinary product offerings from exhibitors across the market. Hundreds of innovative products were pre-submitted and nine category winners were honored, representing nine sections within the HOME, LIFESTYLE and HANDMADE Collections including Home Furnishings + Textiles, Tabletop + Gourmet Housewares, Baby + Child, Gift, Personal Accessories, Personal Care + Wellness, Handmade® Designer Maker, Handmade® Global Design and Artisan Resource®.
All “Best New Product” Award winners are then eligible to receive the “Best in Market” Award, which recognizes one extraordinary product that stood out most. For the summer 2016 market, this award was announced in conjunction with HGTV Magazine, a fresh, new home lifestyle magazine that gives readers inspiring, real-life solutions for all the things that homeowners deal with every day-from painting to pillows to property values-in an upbeat and engaging way.
Other awards presented during the market were the “Best Exclusive Launch” Awards and Eco Choice Awards. A complete list of awards and winning products is available online.
Seminars and Events
To provide attendees with new insights on the industry and invigorate them to succeed, the NY NOW seminar program offered a jam-packed agenda of 30 different sessions for anyone looking to expand their knowledge or advance their career or business. NY NOW’s full range of educational programming covered compelling industry topics ranging from color and design trends, to sustainability, digital media, retail strategies and more. Seminars were led by industry experts and associations as well as individuals representing leading trade and consumer publications, including ByHand Consulting, Day Spa Association, CRAFT, SCORE NYC, Home and Textiles Today, Hand/Eye Magazine and more.
The summer 2016 market was also home to the NY NOW Retail Design Challenge, hosted by HGTV designer Meg Caswell, which provided market attendees with the opportunity to showcase their retail design skills for a chance to win various prizes. The top 25 finalists were invited to attend an exclusive breakfast session with Meg where she shared her retail design secrets to success. During the breakfast, Meg also announced the three grand prize winners who each received gift cards towards purchases on the market floor.
For more information and to stay updated on future NY NOW markets, please visit www.nynow.com.
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About NY NOW
NY NOW®, the Market for Home, Lifestyle + Gift, will take place at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. NY NOW features three comprehensive collections – HOME, LIFESTYLE and HANDMADE – that encompass tens of thousands of products in hundreds of product categories. The Handmade® Designer Maker and Handmade® Global Design sections of the HANDMADE Collection will open on Saturday, February 4, 2017 and close on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. The HOME and LIFESTYLE Collections, and the Artisan Resource® section of the HANDMADE Collection, will open on Sunday, February 5, 2017 and close on Wednesday, February 8, 2017. Attendees from all 50 states and more than 77 countries worldwide are expected.
NY NOW is owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of large business-to-business trade shows in the United States, producing more than 80 trade shows and over 100 face-to-face events in total, including conferences, summits and other events. Emerald Expositions connects more than 335,000 sellers and buyers each year and operates within the U.S. in 10 end markets (Gift, Home, General Merchandise and Manufacturing; Sports & Apparel; Design; Jewelry, Luxury & Antiques; E-Commerce; Creative Services; Licensing; Healthcare; Military; and Food).
More information about NY NOW can be found at www.nynow.com
NOTE TO EDITORS: The official name of the market is “NY NOW.” Please do not use “NY Now,” “NYNow” “the NY Gift Show” or the “NY Gift Fair” to refer to the market.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Katie Seifert
Coyne PR for NY NOW
973-588-2000
kseifert@coynepr.com