Gift Market News

Jennifer Polanz

In bids to continue to remain a relevant stop for retailers, both Dallas Market Center and International Market Centers (IMC) had big announcements this month.

Dallas Market Center announced the World Floral Expo, an international floral business trade show, would be held in Dallas March 20-22 in the Market Hall where international flower growers and floral suppliers will display their products. The show has previously been held in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chicago.

“Complementing this temporary trade vent at Market Hall is the 600,000 square feet of permanent showrooms at Dallas Market Center dedicated to floral and holiday products,” notes the media release on the expo. “World Floral Expo attendees are invited to visit the open-daily permanent showrooms during their time at the World Floral Expo.” More about the expo can be found at hppexhibitions.com/wfe.

Meanwhile, IMC, which runs AmericasMart in Atlanta, High Point Market in North Carolina and World Market Center Las Vegas, announced a three-year, $280 million investment into new initiatives for those markets.

“Elements of the plan, which will be implemented over the next six-24 months on all three campuses, include category enrichment and extension, launch of new verticals, strategic remerchandising of existing resources, digital and mobile platform enhancements, and physical improvements in arrival areas and public spaces,” says the release sent to media.

The enhancements are in response to three months of industry research and outreach, and hope to increase buyer traffic, enhance off-market traffic at open daily venues, improve the experiences for buyers and “create best-in-class digital platforms to connect buyers and sellers more effectively and efficiently both at and in-between markets.”

Part of that initiative is a new, 315,000 sq. ft. addition to the World Market Center Las Vegas, which will feature 110,000 net sq. ft. of rentable temporary exhibit space. Construction is expected to be completed June 2020. GP