NYC & Company Welcomes Back the Winter 2012 New York International Gift Fair to New York City

NYC & COMPANY WELCOMES BACK THE WINTER 2012 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL GIFT FAIR TO NEW YORK CITY

—New York City’s Largest Trade Show Expects More Than 35,000 Market-Goers from 80 Countries and All 50 States—

—Gift Fair Generates More Than 21,000 Room Nights and Delivers
$33 Million in Economic Impact to the City—

—"Driven by Design" Emphasizes Design-Driven and Fashion-Forward Resources Throughout the Market—

New York City (January 26, 2012)—NYC & Company, the City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, welcomes back the Winter 2012 New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) to New York City, a wholesale industry event with more than 2,800 exhibitors from around the world, and 35,000 attendees from 80 countries and all 50 states. The semi-annual market, which is the city’s largest trade show, is expected to generate more than 21,000 room nights and $33 million in economic impact for New York. The NYIGF begins on Saturday, January 28, and runs through Thursday, February 2, filling the City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 and 94. 

“The NYIGF, the City’s largest trade show, provides New York with another opportunity to entice visitors from all over the world to experience what makes us unique,” said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. “Our lasting relationship with the NYIGF is marked this year by an estimated 21,000 room nights generating $33 million in economic growth. We look forward each year to offering both exhibitors and attendees a backdrop that inspires creativity.”

More than 100,000 products presented by NYIGF exhibitors are “Driven by Design,” with 400-plus categories of design-driven and fashion-forward gift, home and lifestyle merchandise. As an extension of this, NYIGF launched a 100 Days of Design initiative inviting top designers and artists to blog about design inspiration and ethics and the impact of technology on design today.

From home and craft to new and lifestyle, an exciting array of new products is available this year across all categories. They include Bubble™ by MadPax, 3D-inspired backpacks for kids of all ages; Lotion Bar by Worker B, a signature skin product that offers full body conditioning and facilitates a deep tissue massage; Oxford Pillow by COCOCOZY, 100 percent cotton designer pillow in navy for cozy spaces; Sophia bowls by Michael Wainwright, inspired by Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia dome, four aluminum nesting bowls are finished with pearlized enamel; Black Clutch by sarah oliver handbags, hand knit from imported highland Peruvian wool adorned with a removable brushed silver “O” brooch; and Mojave Necklace by Spruce Jewelry Design, a tumbling geometric motif in glass and gemstone beads that suggests warmth and unity through texture.

“The New York International Gift Fair has always reflected the creativity, innovation and energy of the City it calls home, and this edition of the fair is no exception,” said Dorothy Belshaw, Fair Director and Senior Vice President of GLM. “The fair’s New York location plays an integral role in driving regional, national and international attendance from the world’s most successful and influential retailers, and the gift and home industry’s leading resources consider it a must-attend event for that reason. We value our partnership with NYC & Co and their continued support of our efforts to deliver a world-class gift and home market.”

The NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. Highlights of the Winter 2012 NYIGF include: Accent on Design, introduces 13 new companies—each exemplifying a superlative contemporary design aesthetic—to join some 200 designers in this elite category; Handmade has accepted 30-plus new craft artisans and global suppliers, to showcase a total of 475 artisans and suppliers of handcrafts in two distinct sections, Handmade Designer Maker and Handmade Global Design; At Home, one of the largest and most diverse selections of trend-focused home resources in the United States, showcases a full spectrum of hard lines and soft goods for the home; EX·TRACTS will feature some 100 suppliers of innovative and emerging personal care, beauty and wellness, including a marked growth in the fragrance category; and Personal Accessories featuring Details is a growing collection of fashion-forward and design-driven resources, such as textile jewelry and stainless steel wallets. The show will refine several category-specific “neighborhoods” within General Gift, the largest division of the NYIGF, that will simplify product sourcing and shopping for market participants. NYIGF’s General Gift features three “neighborhoods” grouped by like product category: On Trend, Stationery & Publishing and The Museum Source.

Showcasing the growth in demand and availability of eco-friendly and socially respectful consumer products, the SustainAbility: design for a better world® project returns to the winter 2012 NYIGF. Now entering its fifth year, this initiative incorporates a juried exhibit of nearly 200 sustainable gift, home and lifestyle products; the Eco Choice Awards, recognizing product innovation; and a new partnership with Green America to produce a seminar series addressing sustainability and socially responsible business practices. Additionally, the category will highlight seven products designated as “SustainAbility3,” the Fair’s highest level of sustainability for products, production processes and business practices.

Several high-tech, buyer-friendly features will continue to be available during the show to facilitate pre-show sourcing and on-site shopping. Detailed supplier and product information is accessible through the “search.nyigf.com” micro-site which is fully integrated with NYIGF’s Online Catalog Gallery. A mobile wayfinder application, introduced prior to the summer 2011 market, also will be updated for the winter show. 

The winter market takes place Saturday, January 28, through Thursday, February 2, 2012, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 and 94. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration, is available online at nyigf.com.

The NYIGF is open to trade members only, not the general public. Please submit your request for a press badge by January 27 to CathySteel@CathySteelAssociates.com.

About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.

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

About the Javits Center:
The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York opened in 1986 as the successor to the NY Coliseum. Javits is New York City’s largest venue for conventions, trade shows and special events. Home to many of the top 200 trade shows, Javits hosts about 150 events with an average attendance of 3.5 million per year. These events contribute to the city and state economies by stimulating direct and indirect employment, economic activity and tax revenues, and by supporting the city’s hotel, restaurant, tourism and entertainment industries. For more information, visit javitscenter.com.

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Contact:  Chris Heywood/NYC & Company     212-484-1270