Feb 28, 2012

NYIGF Announces New Five-Day Format Beginning in Summer 2012

Following a shift in traffic patterns and an exhibitor survey about market timing, the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) will adopt a new five-day format – opening Saturday and closing Wednesday (rather than Thursday) – beginning with the summer 2012 edition, Saturday, August 18, through Wednesday, August 22, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal’s Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 & 94.

NYIGF’s 10 divisions will continue to have staggered opening and closing dates, with Pier divisions – At Home at Pier 94 and New York’s Newest at Pier 92 – and Handmade Designer Maker and Handmade Global Design (at the Javits Center) running Saturday through Tuesday; and Accent on Design, At Home featuring Home Textiles, Baby & Child, EX•TRACTS, General Gift, Personal Accessories featuring Details, Studio and Tabletop running Sunday through Wednesday at the Javits Center. The Gourmet Housewares Show at NYIGF, which is presented annually during the summer market, also will run Sunday through Wednesday.

“An overwhelming majority (85%+) of exhibitors surveyed are in favor of reducing the length of the Fair by one day, said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “Based on daily traffic and attendance patterns over the past few shows, we anticipate that attendance will not be affected negatively by this change.”

All NYIGF divisions and locations will open daily at 9am and will close daily at 6pm. On Tuesday, August 21, At Home at Pier 92, New York’s Newest at Pier 94 and Handmade at Javits will close at 5pm. On Wednesday, August 22, all remaining divisions at the Javits Center will close at 2pm.

These changes do not impact the summer 2012 launch of Artisan Resource, a new artisan production-sourcing event for U.S.-based importers, direct import retailers and wholesalers, alongside NYIGF. The first semi-annual edition will debut Monday, August 20, through Wednesday, August 22, 2012, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, showcasing an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware, with some 2,800+ companies, 400 product categories and 100,000 lines. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80+ countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nyigf.com.