Retailers and designers will experience nearly 50 events, seminars, gourmet demonstrations, lounges and celebrations – including the first-ever staging of Party for Life in Atlanta – at The Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market this January. Programming across the AmericasMart campus will connect market attendees with influencers, tastemakers and thought leaders sharing actionable tips and trends. In addition, AmericasMart will host 100+ food and beverage amenities including happy hours, complimentary breakfasts, snacks and more throughout the campus.
“With the broad range of programming this January, we address a variety of buyer needs, whether that’s in a business-building seminar, a class in the Demonstration Kitchen, a meet and greet with an influencer or at an industry celebration where they can network with like-minded business owners,” said Dorothy Belshaw, IMC Chief Marketing and Digital Officer. “Our events, seminars and amenities are an added value to an already important week for the gift and home furnishings industry.”
Party for Life Relocates to Atlanta
The highlight of the winter 2020 programming is the first-ever staging of Gift for Life’s Party for Life fundraiser in connection with the Atlanta market. The industry celebration takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020 at the Fernbank Museum with designer Thom Filicia serving as Honorary Event Chairman and recognition of Anne McGilvray who will be presented with the Chuck Yancy Lifetime Achievement Award. All proceeds benefit the grant making efforts of Gift for Life's beneficiary DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. Confirmed sponsors to date are AmericasMart/Las Vegas Market, Anne McGilvray & Company, Binant Capital, DEMDACO, Great American Publishing (Gift Shop, Museums & More, Stationery Trends), Maiarelli Studio, Poo-Pourri and Progressive Business Media (Gifts and Decorative Accessories, Home Accents Today). Tickets and more information are available at www.giftforlife.org/participate.
Shop the Show
The winter 2020 class of Shop the Show influencers showcases five influencers – Tiffani Thiessen, Katie Stauffer of the Stauffer Family, Brian Patrick Flynn, Paloma Contreras and Liz Marie Galvan – who collectively reach nearly 6 million followers with content including trends in home decor, gift, tabletop, kids, lifestyle and seasonal decor plus adorable moments in daily life. These influencers will shop market’s 8,000 brands in search of the most coveted products – uncovering the latest trends in lifestyle and more, while sharing their experiences through social media, vignettes, book signings, showroom activations and more.
Thiessen headlines the Shop the Show programming with “Breakfast with Tiffani – Easy Breezy Brunching & Entertaining Tips” from her new book Pull Up a Chair: Recipes from My Family to Yours on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 11 a.m. Flynn hosts a cocktail party with tips for incorporating “hygge” – the Danish attitude towards life that emphasizes finding joy in everyday – into design projects and stores in “How to Hygge at Accent Decor” on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. Stauffer shops and styles her favorite Corkcicle products and mixes and mingles with her twins Mia and Emma in “Pop, Shop & Sip: Cocktails at Corkcicle” on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. Galvan signs her debut book Cozy White Cottage: 100 Ways to Love the Feeling of Being Home while attendees enjoy a warm cookie and cocktail on Wednesday, January 15. Contreras signs her new book Dream Design Live on Friday, Jan. 17.
Retailer and Designer Education
Retailer educational programming provides actionable tips in marketing and finance. Liz Martin of Charleston Weekender leads “Influencer Marketing 101: The Do's & Don'ts of Getting Your Store Featured by Bloggers” which teaches a basic understanding of hiring and collaborating with bloggers on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. Patti Biro of Spa Industry Association explains how adding temporary locations to an outreach strategy can expand market reach and create new sales opportunities in “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Pop-Ups, Mobile Retail and More” on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. In “Social Media Strategy for Retail Success in 2020 and Beyond,” blogger and retailer Mandy Kellogg Rye of Waiting on Martha, Inc. and Welcome Media Co. shares the core social media strategies that every retailer should know on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. Becky Tyre records a live episode of Retail Details the Podcast during “Partnering for Promotions & Successful Store Events” on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. “Ten Easy Steps to Retail Relevance in 2020” features Annette Joseph and Barbara Pederzini sharing merchandise styling tips for retailers with Rue editor-in-chief Kelli Lamb on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. “How to Think Like a CFO: The 5 Numbers All Business Owners Need to Know” provides key business financial knowledge on Friday, Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. “The Psychology of Price (The Markup and Markdown Game)” present tactics retailers need to deploy to maintain a competitive pricing position on Friday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m.
Designer educational programming touches on best practices, trends and new business opportunities. In “What’s Your Worth? Managing Client Expectations While Growing Your Design Business” designer Corey Damen Jenkins shares real-life examples and strategies for working with demanding clients on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. Luxe Interiors + Design taps three designers to share their favorite trends and top finds from the market in “Ahead of the Curve | East Coast Edition” on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. The “Sherwin-Williams Colormix Forecast 2020” showcases trending paint colors for 2020 on Friday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. “Staging to Sell, What Every Designer Should Know,” presented by The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), teaches how real estate staging can be a viable add-on service for the right entrepreneur on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m.
Returning for January 2020 are new buyer breakfast seminars where buyers can learn the basic fundamentals of the market experience – including how to navigate the buildings, the amenities and resources available to buyers, how to use the mobile app, the showrooms are a good fit for their buying needs and more – over breakfast with the Buyer Services team. Breakfast takes place in Building 2 on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 8:30 a.m. and Building 1 on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 8:30 a.m.
Interactive Demonstrations
Top chefs and Atlanta-based tastemakers lead interactive cooking and cocktail classes in the market’s unique Demonstration Kitchen. Food Network’s Nancy Fuller makes her famous go-to Crab Delights Dip in “A Party for Pollock with Carefree Crab” on Friday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. James Beard Award-nominee, Top Chef finalist and Atlanta-based restaurateur Chef Kevin Gillespie prepares “Fire in my Belly: Totally Cookable Recipes from Around the World” on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 11 a.m. Local chefs lead “A Taste of Australia in Atlanta” on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 11 a.m., “A Taste of Home: Handcrafted Doughnuts by Doughnut Dollies” on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 3 p.m., “Global Fusion in 2020: The World in an Egg Roll” on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. and “A Culinary Tour of Basque Flavors” on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. The popular Cocktails and Conversations series returns with mixologists from some of Atlanta’s top bars including Tiny Lou’s, Red Phone Booth and Tin Tin serving up their favorite cocktails on Tuesday, Jan. 14, Friday, Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 18, respectively; all at 3 p.m.
Seasonal and floral-focused demonstrations include designer and event planner Canaan Marshall creating a centerpiece from start to finish that’s perfect for the spring season on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. and Holly Chapple of Holly Heider Chapple Flowers LTD who will be demystifying super-lush designs and demonstrating her line of floral mechanics and vases co-developed by Syndicate Sales in “Epic, Attainable Floral Design for All” on Friday, Jan. 17 at noon.
The Roaring Navy Party
Sherwin-William’s 2020 Color of the Year – NAVAL SW 6244 – is celebrated at the Roaring Navy party on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. Attendees are invited to come dressed in their best Naval-colored attire as they raise and glass and usher in the new year on the Commercial Design floor.
Updated Buyer Amenities
In addition to programming, buyer amenities help to create a positive market experience.
Buyers’ lounges throughout campus including The Southern Couture Lounge, the Creative Commons and the DEMDACO Crossroads feature daily hospitality. In the ECO Lounge, buyers can rest, recharge and learn about products that abide by sustainable practices. The Headshot & Glam Studio provides buyers with a complimentary 20-minute portrait session including hair and make-up touch up. The Wellness and Rejuvenation Lounge features complimentary massages, wellness services and beverages in a serene and relaxing environment.
A full list of market events and amenities is available at www.AmericasMart.com/events.
