Gourmet Housewares Show® Moves to Summer 2011 NYIGF

WHITE PLAINS, NY, May 14, 2010... In response to retailer survey results, the Gourmet Housewares Show® will be held each summer in New York City, beginning in August 2011, within the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®). This permanent move to summer – which is a change from previously announced plans – was based upon results of a retailer survey, which indicated a clear preference for a third quarter buying opportunity.

Gourmet Housewares Show owner, GLM, surveyed some 10,000 retailers – Gourmet Housewares Show participants, members of two specialty store buying groups (HTI and The Gourmet Catalog) and a wide cross-section of independent specialty stores from gourmet-appropriate retail channels – regarding optimal market timing and location. Some 70% of respondents supported the New York venue and indicated preference for an August market.

“Independent specialty retail feedback was the lynchpin of our decision-making process, and gourmet products buyers indicate clear support for a third quarter buying opportunity as a complement to other first and second quarter industry events,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president.

According to Belshaw, survey results also indicated that primary categories of interest are gadgets, cookware, cutlery, bakeware, kitchen textiles, tabletop, serveware, small kitchen electrics, wine accessories and barware. “By positioning the Gourmet Housewares Show adjacent to NYIGF’s Tabletop & Housewares and General Gift divisions at the Javits Center, we can provide a strong assortment of key resources for independent specialty gourmet retailers, as well as a wealth of conveniently located complementary resources.” In total, NYIGF offers ten divisions presenting over 100,000 lines of home, lifestyle and gift products.

The Gourmet Housewares Show will include some 150 exhibitors dedicated to gourmet housewares, positioned adjacent to an additional 200 relevant tabletop suppliers in NYIGF’s Tabletop & Housewares division. Plans call for the Gourmet Housewares Show to have a dedicated entrance and signage, while sharing efficiencies with NYIGF for exhibitor and buyer registration. A series of educational programming and special events, designed specifically for the specialty gourmet retailer, will be developed as part of overall market week programming.

The launch of the Gourmet Housewares Show at NYIGF is part of the three-year “Focus Forward NYIGF 2013” strategic plan, which will create four comprehensive market collections, including “NYIGF Home,” featuring furniture, textiles, decorative accessories, housewares and tabletop; “NYIGF Handmade,” “NYIGF Lifestyle” and “NYIGF New.”

Since its inception in 1975, the Gourmet Housewares Show has provided a professional marketplace for the gourmet products and upscale housewares industries, offering a comprehensive mix of innovative new products, leading resources, and industry trends, and the only industry event to focus exclusively on high-end cookware, cutlery, bakeware, gadgets, tabletop, kitchen textiles and specialty food.

The Gourmet Housewares Show will run Sunday, August 14, through Thursday, August 18, 2011, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. For exhibitor information, contact Marc Delman, sales manager, at (914) 421-3260, or email mdelman@glmshows.com. For additional information, visit www.thegourmetshow.com.

NYIGF is a premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,800 exhibiting companies featuring design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 85 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nyigf.com.