Las Vegas Market takes lead in green

It’s looking a lot greener at what is expected to be a red-hot Las Vegas Market this July.
Las Vegas Market officials are proud to announce the Living Green Pavilion, which will make its debut at the Summer Market, July 30 – August 3. The inaugural Living Green Pavilion highlights the growing style and substance of eco-friendly home furnishings and will be located at the Sands Expo temporary show, opening on Tuesday July 31.

“One of the most important issues in the world today is protecting the environment, so it’s no surprise that the home furnishings industry is becoming more in tune with consumer demand and the usage of sustainable resources in their products,” said Tim Branscome, World Market Center’s director of international business development. “World Market Center is pleased to launch ‘Living Green,’ which creates a platform for these cutting-edge companies and products while also informing and educating the entire furniture industry on the latest trends and developments in the sustainable furnishings marketplace.”

WMC has teamed up with the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC) to organize the pavilion due to the organization’s commitment and realistic views on attaining sustainability. Branscome said it is important to raise the profile of companies who are leading the movement in sustainability, and SFC has established meaningful criteria in terms of identifying suppliers as truly sustainable.

“We are happy that WMC has asked us to be part of this market that is becoming increasingly important,” said Gerry Cooklin, president of the Sustainable Furniture Council.

“Our member companies will have a fairly large showing area, which will allow us to reinforce our message. Sustainability is a topic of fast growing concern, and even though our industry has been lagging other industries in this awareness, it’s never too late to catch up. We look forward to meeting many more new companies that will be ready to join us.”

From a retail and consumer point of view, buyers are clamoring for ideas, information and products that help them incorporate sustainable furniture, on-trend designs and leading-edge styles. Las Vegas Market officials believe they are in a unique position to help guide this industry initiative.

To that end, a particularly exciting special feature of the Living Green exhibit will be the exclusive “greenhouse gallery” — an incubator platform showcasing new design directions within the sustainable home furnishings category.

“We have discovered that the producers of furniture using sustainable materials are not only pioneers, but also design innovators. The introduction and availability of various new sustainable materials appears to have stimulated a whole new community of designers who are now finding their way into the market,” Branscome added. “Naturally, we want to see sustainable content grow at Las Vegas Market, and we intend to continue to bring new suppliers, new products and new eco-friendly developments to the marketplace.”

Also slated for July is a panel discussion, “Retail Sustainability,” presented by Home Furnishings Business. The dynamic discussion will explore how key retailers have incorporated sustainable practices into their business plans for the future. Members of the Sustainable Furniture Council, the designated beneficiary for this event, will be present and answer questions and support retailers in their outreach efforts.

WMC is aggressively marketing and promoting these initiatives, investing in a significant public relations and advertising campaign to ensure maximum exposure for the program and participating exhibitors. The Living Green Pavilion and its panel discussion will be featured in pre-show direct mail, advertising campaigns and at the market, as well as editorials in various magazines and directories.

The Living Green Pavilion is a collaborative effort between WMC, the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC) and Channel Logic Inc. — a leading sustainable products representation firm.

For more information about participating in Living Green, please contact Tim Loveday at tim@channellogicusa.com or at [866] 435-8890, ext. 303.