Las Vegas Market Makes Bold Move

The World Market Center is turning its Las Vegas Market – Summer into more of a fall tradeshow, placing it just one month ahead of the High Point Market's Oct. 5-11 event. Starting next year, the second of the semiannual home furnishings markets will take place Sept. 14-17 during four days, instead of five. This year's Las Vegas Market – Summer was held July 28-Aug. 1.

Although the WMC attributed the date change to customer demand, it is conceivable the shift is an effort to get a strategic edge on the competition.

According to WMC President and CEO Robert Maricich, the scheduling changes were made in an effort to better serve the home furnishings industry that participates in the Las Vegas Market, including international visitors.

“Early September is a time in Las Vegas that's cost-effective, the weather's nicer and people's attention tends to turn more toward business after Labor Day,” Maricich said. “We had to pick a date that makes sense in a buying cycle, logistics cycle and cost cycle with attendees.”

The decision to switch seasons and shorten dates resulted from a year's worth of research, according to Maricich, which included online surveys, meetings with key exhibitors and retailers and ongoing discussions with the WMC board of advisers, as well as third-party studies conducted by Tradeshow Week Research.

“Our goal was to have the most dynamic and compelling market that we could and (determine) when are the best times of year to do that,” he said. February remains the best time to hold a winter market, Maricich added.

A shorter market shouldn't be an issue, he said, as the efficiency and convenience of WMC's campus is conducive to maximizing business in a shorter period of time.

Brian Casey, president and CEO of the High Point Market Authority, which operates the North Carolina-based High Point Market, said he wasn't concerned about WMC's date changes.

“I don't expect it to have any negative impact on High Point Market whatsoever,” Casey said. “The reality is that they have a small percentage of High Point exhibitors participating in their market. They're a regional show at best.”

Casey said he felt confident his 100-year-old home furnishings market will retain its loyal following because it offers many benefits Las Vegas doesn't, including more high-end products and product introductions, lower square footage costs, no union labor and more space for showing entire furniture collections.

Although having the shows closer together in time could put pressure on an already financially challenged industry weathering a difficult economy, Casey said that if participants must choose, it would be High Point rather than Las Vegas.

“If people want to take a vacation, Vegas is a fine thing to do,” Casey said, “but if they want to do business in the home furnishings industry and are serious about their business, they need to go where the business is.”

The scheduling changes produced mixed feedback from at least one exhibitor.

Exhibitor Christopher Kingsley, owner of Brownstone Furniture, which has showrooms at both markets, said the Las Vegas Market date switch was positive even though he was concerned the closely-set fall markets could indeed pressure attendees to choose between the two.

“I feel it was a very good move,” Kingsley said. “Las Vegas was losing retailers attending the July show due to the hot weather. I think shortening the week from five to four days is a good thing for both exhibitors and buyers.”

Kingsley added that the WMC's “one-stop shopping” convenience makes a shorter market viable, compared with High Point's spread-out showroom placement that makes it difficult to see so much product in a short period of time.

Maricich said he is focused on positioning Las Vegas Market closer to the top of the food chain.

“Make no mistake, our goal is to be the best show,” he added.