LV Market Touts Largest Handmade Temp Exhibits for January Market

November 21, 2018  by Jane Chero in Designer Weekly, Las Vegas, Market   

“Handmade has been a consistent category of growth for Las Vegas Market, and this winter we will showcase more than 200 unique makers, artisans and crafters from across the U.S. and around the world in both permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits,” said Terence Morris, senior vice president of gift and tradeshow leasing at International Market Centers.

“We also offer craft-focused programming to help retailers better understand the how’s and why’s of selling artisan items, so that they can capitalize on this very important consumer trend,” Morris continued.

This winter, the Handmade category in Pavilion 1 will feature its largest-ever presentation with nearly 100 exhibitors in 9,000 square feet of space. The Handmade section is a juried collection of artisan-designed and developed products ranging from jewelry and apparel, stationery, tabletop, textiles, and decorative gift and home lines. Artisan resources are also located in the Gift section in Pavilion 1, and in Home and Discoveries: The Antique Vintage Marketplace in Pavilion 2.

“We've found that retailers are tired of mass-produced goods and are delighted by our individually-crafted items, which help reflect the personality of their store as well as their customers,” said Eunsun Cho, director of sales for Handmade exhibitor Good Paper. “Handmade products connect consumers to a person, but more importantly, a story, which gives the product extra meaning.”

Las Vegas Market will continue its partnership with Aid to Artisans, a collaboration that will bring artisan exhibitors from Tunisia, Lesotho, Mexico, Columbia, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan, among other countries, to Winter Market. In addition to the showcase of ATA exhibitors within Handmade, ATA’s Team initiative will offer on-site coaching and a mentoring program for emerging international artisan businesses.

Artisan resources will also be included in collectives in temporary exhibits and permanent showrooms across the Market campus. An Artisanal LA (ALA) pop-up showcase in Pavilion 1’s GIFT category will highlight Los Angeles-based makers. On C11, the American Made Collective will feature 23 artisans and Palladium Jewelry will feature seven makers; Wild Rumpus Room will showcase 19 handmade lines on C10.

Las Vegas Market will also offer two artisan-focused events this winter. The Meet the Makers seminar is scheduled from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, in the Pavilion 1 Seminar Room. Diane Sulg of Craft, Carlos Arias, founder of Inspired Peru, along with others yet to be announced, will discuss the maker movement and how artisans are now able to enter the marketplace on a larger scale, the challenges and successes of being a creative, trends in artisanal products, and today’s buying trends.

Meet the Makers Tour – Experience the Creativity, is scheduled from 2:30-4:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28. During the guided walking tour, participants will see firsthand how select handmade exhibitors make some of their products and hear each maker’s unique brand story.