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From Home Furnishing Business
Dallas Market Center Updates Health & Safety Guidelines for June Markets
May 4,
2021 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
Dallas Market Center, following more than ten months of successful trade events serving loyal buyers and a record number of new buyers from all 50 states, has announced updated health and safety policies and guidelines for June markets including Apparel & Accessories Market, Total Home & Gift Market, Lightovation, and KidsWorld.
Continuing health & safety efforts will include mandatory face coverings for everyone entering the marketplace. Social distancing will also remain in place as will concierge COVID-19 testing available on-site. Shuttles will return for June markets and a limited number of socially distanced special events will occur. The updated Plan Ahead, Safely guidelines are available via the front page of the Dallas Market Center website.
“It’s important to maintain what’s working best and recommended by health authorities as we anticipate a tremendous series of summer events with loyal buyers and many first-time attendees,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO. “Our continuing health and safety efforts together with having several of the first shows of the summer and the national debut of lots of new products will motivate buyers choosing a single marketplace to fulfil all of their needs. But it gets better: national trends such as the rapid vaccination roll-out, economic momentum, and retail strength only add to our anticipation of uniquely successful summer markets in Dallas.”
The announcement follows a sharp and sustained decline in regional, state and local COVID-19 cases. According to the latest data from the CDC, Texas is in the center of the safest zone in the U.S. At the same time, Texas ranks second among vaccinations administered among 50 states. A full review of the latest cases and vaccination numbers is available in a Dallas Market Center blog post: https://blog.dallasmarketcenter.com/covid-and-texas-case-counts-in-sharp-decline-10-million-vaccinated.
Shuttles will once again be available at June Markets including hotel and campus routes. As well, on-site testing for COVID-19 will be available via Kai Medical Laboratory. The testing is optional and fee-based. The testing is a PCR test with results in 24 hours--the type of test most often required for travelers. The location is WTC 170, on the first floor of the World Trade Center, and testing hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
A limited number of attendance-optional special events will take place during June Markets including the HEARTS Awards, Gourmet Gold Awards, and lighting events including Showroom of the Year and Lighting After Dark. These events, in smaller formats than previous editions and produced with social distancing measures, will recognize and celebrate retail and manufacturer achievements.
Food service at market will be plentiful including multiple outlets open every day. Seated dining and take-away options will be available. Check the market pages on the DMC website or the DMC app for complete details for upcoming shows.
Dallas Market Center’s health and safety guidelines cover facility operations, registration, food and beverage service, shuttles, and other important topics. Along with these new measures, there are safety features that are part of the natural design of the marketplace: open parking, large entryways, quick registration in multiple areas, wide hallways, multiple escalators to every floor, and showrooms with controlled access to allow for the appropriate distance between customers.