May 13, 2008

Record Number of International Buyers to Attend June Markets

Dallas, TX – Dallas Market Center, the world’s largest wholesale merchandise resource, announced a record number of international buyers will attend the upcoming June Markets, including the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market (June 18-24), Dallas International Lighting Market (June 19-23), F!NDS Dallas Temp Show (June 20-23), and Dallas Holiday & Home Expo (June 18-24, temps June 19-23). Buyers from more than 35 countries are expected to attend, and registration is on track to break all previous records – including a more than 100 percent increase in the total number of international buyers over last year.

In addition to loyal international buyers from Latin America, buyers from countries such as Uruguay, Ecuador, Barbados, Indonesia, the West Indies, and the United Kingdom are among guests visiting in June. As well, a special delegation of dozens of international lighting buyers will be welcomed to market from Mexico (Monterrey and Guadalajara), Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Brazil. These buying groups represent significant buying power from growing economies.

“We have aggressively pursued international buyers under the direction of a new International Business Development team,” said Bill Winsor, president and CEO, Dallas Market Center. “As the Latin American economy continues to expand, we offer the most convenient location in the United States and a market offering more lighting, home decor, and floral products. We are thrilled with the dramatic increase in international buyer traffic.”

“The competitiveness in the lighting retail sector in Latin American markets has increased significantly in recent years,” said Ivonne Kinser, vice president of international business development, Dallas Market Center. “This is due to additional retailers entering the market and the efforts of international manufacturers to introduce more products into a growing marketplace. This competitiveness is pushing retailers to search for new resources to differentiate them from their competitors – which makes Dallas a natural fit.”

Dallas Market Center is the only U.S. market center with a fully-staffed, multi-lingual International Business Development team who work to increase the number of international buyers attending markets in Dallas as well as to increase the level of international products showcased in Dallas.

International buyers attending markets in Dallas are invited to visit the International Buyers’ Lounge, a VIP suite located on the first floor of the World Trade Center. This fully-functional business center and lounge offers refreshments, comfortable seating, phone, fax, and computer access. The lounge is staffed by multi-lingual members of the International Business Development team.

Each January and June, Dallas Market Center holds multiple markets simultaneously so that buyers from around the world may select from a wide range of product categories: Dallas Total Home & Gift Market (June 18-24), Dallas International Lighting Market (June 19-22), F!NDS Dallas Temp Show (June 20-23), Dallas Holiday & Home Expo (June 18-24, temps June 19-23), and Dallas Hospitality/Contract Lighting Show (June 23). The markets feature more than 25,000 lines of gift products, decorative accessories, lighting, floral, gourmet, furniture, toys, seasonal items and more. Please visit www.dallasmarketcenter.com for the most up-to-date special events and market information.

Attendees may contact the Dallas Market Center in-house travel agency, MarketTravel, for substantial travel and hotel discounts by calling 1-800-DAL-MKTS.

About Dallas Market Center

Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s largest wholesale merchandise resource. Within its marketplace of more than five million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men’s, western, women’s and children’s apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 84 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than $8 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex. The Dallas Market Center Web site is available at www.dallasmarketcenter.com.