Any way you slice it, 2020 was a difficult year for the Gift and Home industry, and the trade shows which serve the industry were not spared the effects of the lockdowns precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A few have disappeared from public presence on the web and most promoters cancelled or postponed show events or went to online or appointment-only formats. Temporary booths were also discontinued at some shows.
Twice a year, this newsletter looks at industry trade shows in this space. 2021 promises to be better and hopefully more predictable.
Dallas Market Center has unveiled an ambitious calendar of 31 events in 2021, the highest number in more than a decade. The promoters say Dallas’ 2020 Total Home & Gift Markets were “the best attended among shows taking place in the U.S.” (source)
International Market Centers (IMC), promoter of the Las Vegas Market, Atlanta’s AmericasMart and High Point Market, is staging 22 buying events in 2021 (full list). Fifteen of the 22 are in Atlanta, High Point has two events and the rest are in Las Vegas. In November, IMC conducted a webinar titled “2020: A Year of Huge Obstacles, Tough Lessons and Fresh Starts” which addressed the critical lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed how to use those experiences to plan for the future.
2020 was particularly difficult in New York, with outsized numbers of deaths and severe lockdown measures. The Javits Center, the venue where NYNow is normally held, was used as a field hospital. For 2021, promoters of NYNow have announced their two shows will be held, the first of which (Jan. 28-Feb. 3) will be a digital show. In-person Market will finally return to the Javits Center Aug. 8-11.
The Northeast Market Center show in Massachusetts and the LA Mart show in California are examples of two shows that will be “appoinment only.”
In Canada, the Toronto show usually held in January has been cancelled, but the Edmonton show will go forward in April.
Be sure to consult the websites of the shows you would like to attend because dates may have shifted and you will want to be aware of the shows’ COVID-19 policies.
