Giftware
Influencer Programs Return to Las Vegas Market
In a robust initiative to create content and community, Las Vegas Market brings two distinct influencer programs – Market Pros and the previously announced The ( A ) List – to its Winter edition with leading industry designers, trailblazers and social media mavens uncovering their favorite finds and market highlights through social media takeovers, seminars and more. Follow these programs as influencers and tastemakers take a deep dive into the new and now of the semi-annual buying event, running Sunday, Jan. 28 through Thursday, Feb. 1, at World Market Center Las Vegas.
“These influencer programs explore Market through diverse, expert lenses,” said Karen Olson, ANDMORE executive vice president, chief marketing officer. “With the establishment of a multi-faceted influencer network, we intend to inspire our buyers to dig deeper by providing a spectrum of experiences through digital creation and community collaboration.”
Market Pros, a long-standing Las Vegas Market influencer program, and The ( A ) List, Market’s newest destination for celebrity designer insights, combine forces to create a dynamic content community in Las Vegas for sourcing, social, seminars and everything in between.
Market Pros Returns for Winter 2024
The Market Pros program at Las Vegas Market handpicks industry tastemakers to discover noteworthy trends and products at Market. This January, six designers, retailers and trend-spotters participate in social media takeovers and share their top picks from Market. The Winter 2024 Market Pros will take over the @LasVegasMarket and @LasVegasDesignCenter Instagram accounts and the @LVMarket and @LVDesignCenter Facebook pages.
Market Pros for the Winter 2024 Las Vegas Market are:
Patti Carpenter, carpenter + company. Patti is principal of carpenter + company and an award- winning designer in globally sourced home décor, accessories, fragrance and gifts, with experience in product design and development, merchandising and color and trend forecasting. As a Micro-Enterprise specialist with U.S. presidential recognition for domestic and international expertise in artisan development, small producer and entrepreneurial training and economic development, she has designed and sourced Private Label collections for Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Crate & Barrel, The Phillips Collection, ABC Carpet and Home, Donna Karan Urban Zen and Ralph Lauren.
Patti is an expert in color and trend research and forecasting and consults with Pantone. She is an active board member of SERRV International-one of the founding organizations of the World Fair Trade Organization, BADG, The High School of Fashion Industries and The Bienenstock Furniture Library, as well as the co-founder of the Kaleidoscope Project. Patti is also the recipient of the Gift For Life Industry Achievement Award for 2021, the Withit Industry Leadership Award for 2021 for the Kaleidoscope Project, as well as the International Furniture and Design Association’s Trailblazer Award in 2023. @pattictrendscope
Tara Riceberg, Tesoro Beverly Hills & Best Gift Store Ever.com. Tara Riceberg is a second-generation retailer who has had shop-in-shops in Saks Fifth Avenue and Fred Segal. Her concept store, Tesoro Beverly Hills, is the world’s only entirely, all pre-wrapped gift store for babies, kids and adults.
A sample product is on display for customers to enjoy and the backstock is already wrapped for grab-n-go convenience. It is curated with items that are educational, inspirational and purposeful. Connecting with her community is Tara’s favorite part of being a retailer, and she has been a cheerleader for the retail industry for decades.
She has not only participated on panels at trade shows, including LVMKT’s Retail Titans & Innovators, but also has been a contributing editor for trade magazines. She is active with the Government Affairs Committee of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, with the National Retail Federation and the CA Retailers Association, the Small Business Task Force of Beverly Hills, and begins her term as the newest Beverly Hills’ Recreation and Parks Commissioner in January. @BestGiftStoreEver / @tarariceberg / @tesorobeverlyhills
Joshua Rose and Rafael Kalichstein, Citizen Artist. Since 2007, visionary designers Rafael Kalichstein and Joshua Rose, along with their team, have brought sensitivity and sophistication to commissioned projects across the United States under the moniker FORM Design Studio. Originally drawing from their diverse backgrounds (Rafael, a former practitioner of holistic medicine and Joshua, an Emmy-Award-winning designer), the partners developed and refined a holistic approach to design, establishing the firm as a leading voice in the field and garnering frequent recognition among the most illustrious design publications.
In 2023, the team announced it would operate under the name Citizen Artist, embracing the axiom that good design makes the world a more beautiful place. With an emphasis on exploration, Rose and Kalichstein encourage clients and collaborators alike to build practical environments with health, choice, economics and ecological and social impact in mind. @citizen.artist
Joshua Smith, Joshua Smith Inc. With projects on both coasts, Joshua Smith Inc. offers full-service residential interior design – and life-changing spaces. Joshua draws on decades of experience transforming functional spaces into inspiring environments that engage the senses and nourish the soul. By cultivating the connections between mind, body, spirit and space, he helps his clients elevate their experience each day. Joshua’s career started with an eight-year tenure in residential real estate in Texas. After renovating his own fixer-upper, he decided to pursue a new career in design, and he attended the New York School of Interior Design. Joshua worked at Steven Gambrel before opening his own design firm in 2013. His work has been featured in Traditional Home, House Beautiful, Veranda and The New York Times. @joshuasmithinc
Christine Vroom, Christine Vroom Interiors. Christine Vroom Interiors is a full-service interior and exterior design firm in Los Angeles, founded by senior designer Christine Vroom. Bringing together her love of timeless design with a fashion-forward attention to detail, Christine has made an impression on homeowners, developers, architects and business owners alike. Guided by the philosophy of “beauty meets function,” Christine creates livable luxury in each project. She is passionate about mental health, and weaving in an overall sense of wellness to her projects is of utmost importance. The goal is to come alongside her clients and not only design a space that is curated for them, but also to connect with them and make sure they feel supported and taken care of through the process. @christinevroominteriors
More information about these six Market Pros, as well as their tips for maximizing Market, are available at Market Pros | Las Vegas Market.
The ( A ) List Features Celebrity Designers
As previously announced, The ( A ) List is a new multi-modal influencer program centered on amplifying design and retail trends through the unique perspectives of top-tier designers.
In addition to @LasVegasMarket Instagram takeovers brimming with insider Market knowledge, ( A ) Listers each designed “Build A Room” using sourced items exclusively from Las Vegas Market exhibitors. ( A ) Lister Martyn Bullard will also host a “Behind Build A Room” seminar followed by a book signing event for his new book, Star Style.
The Winter 2024 Las Vegas Market ( A ) Listers are: Marissa Nelums (@glasshouseinterior), Bullard (@martynbullard) and Nina Takesh (@ninatakesh).
Las Vegas Market is the leading home furnishings and gift market in the western U.S., presenting thousands of furniture, home décor and gift resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market’s diverse product offerings allow for cross-category commerce among these industries. The Winter 2024 Las Vegas Market is Jan. 28 – Feb. 1, at World Market Center Las Vegas. For more information, visit LasVegasMarket.com.
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Transpac Brands Expands in Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas
Transpac Brands, a leading seasonal decor, everyday decor and gift supplier, announces its strategic expansion of showroom locations in Atlanta, Dallas and Las Vegas. These showrooms will enable Transpac Brands, including Transpac, Totalee Gift, Season’s Designs, and VIP Home and Garden, to offer a more extensive and diverse range of products while enhancing its accessibility to customers across various regions.
Atlanta Showroom Expansion
Transpac Brands is proud to announce a new showroom lease for VIP Home and Garden at AmericasMart Atlanta. The VIP Home and Garden showroom will be located on floor 12, in space 1219, featuring close to 2,500 square feet of floor space. This new space provides an opportunity to showcase VIP’s extensive home and garden offering in a visible location. Transpac, Seasons Designs, and Totalee Gift will continue to be presented in their existing showrooms.
Season’s Designs Dallas Debut
Season’s Designs is making its Dallas debut in the Transpac showroom, located at WTC 239. This strategic move is driven by the strong demand for Season’s Designs’ Christmas Tree programs and its impressive range of seasonal large light-up display pieces. This addition to the Transpac showroom will provide customers with a dazzling array of holiday decor options. VIP Home and Garden will be showcased in the Cathy & Co showroom, located at Trade Mart 1644, further expanding the accessibility of Transpac Brands at Dallas Market Center.
A Grand Showcase in Las Vegas
This winter, Las Vegas will welcome a grand celebration of all four Transpac Brands as they come together in one expansive showroom, spanning over 11,000 square feet. This showroom is located in Building C, Space 996, within the main atrium.
“This exciting development allows Transpac Brands to display its diverse range of seasonal and everyday products under one roof, providing customers with a convenient one-stop shopping experience. It’s an opportunity to leverage the collective strength of these brands and create a truly immersive experience for retailers” said Laurie Gilner, president and CEO of Transpac Brands.
Andrea Padilla, director of sales and marketing adds, “Notably, Season’s Designs is making its Las Vegas debut in this unified showroom, marking a milestone for the brand’s presence at Las Vegas Market. With its captivating Christmas offerings and dynamic decor pieces, Season’s Designs is set to captivate Las Vegas shoppers.”
These deliberate showroom expansions exemplify Transpac Brands’s commitment to enhancing attainability and range of offering for its customers. For more information about Transpac Brands and its showroom locations, please visit shoptii.com.
Transpac Brands, formerly known as Transpac, is a leader in the gift and home decor industry.
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Just Got 2 Have It! Showing New Lines in Atlanta
National gifts and accessories category leader Just Got 2 Have It! is set to introduce new lines with its 2024 kickoff at the Atlanta Winter Market starting Monday, Jan. 15. Southeast Gift line additions of Bella Tunno, Coco Chocolatier, Denik, Giffa, Heath, Heathcote & Ivory and Scripted Fragrance are now part of the Just Got 2 Have It portfolio brands. The Southeast Lifestyle division has added Hadley Wren, Honestly Margo, Living Royal, Natalie Wood Designs, Taylor Paladino, and Quilted Koala.
Principal Michelle Morgan said, “We are thrilled to introduce our new gift and lifestyle brands at the Atlanta Winter Market. We pride ourselves on aligning with brands that mirror our retailers’ values and embrace innovative trends. We are excited for a fresh, vibrant new year ahead.”
Showroom events include Build Your Own Charm Necklace with Lucky Feather, Tuesday, Jan. 16, through Thursday, Jan. 18, starting at noon; Sip and Soothe Your “Sole” with Sole~Pourri, on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 3 to 6p.m.; Wake Up with Slumberkins: Morning Mimosas and a Chance to Win, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and Thursday, Jan. 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; By Hand Brilliance: Meet Aaron Jackson of Think Outside and receive a unique hand-signed piece art, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from noon to 2 p.m.; Fizzy and Fashionable with Hadley Wren, on Wednesday, Jan. 17 from noon to 2 p.m.; Roll-On with Rum Punch at Honestly Margo, on Wednesday, Jan. 17 and Thursday, Jan. 18 from 1 to 3 p.m.; An Old-Fashioned Experience & Raffle with True Brands, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and Thursday, Jan. 18, from 2 to 4 p.m.; Patches & (Boozy) Pops with Patchology, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, starting at 2 p.m.; Teatime British Biscuits with Heathcote & Ivory, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and Thursday, Jan. 18, from 3 to 5 p.m.
The Atlanta Winter Market will also feature a Gift Basket Giveaway with products from Bucky, Dionis, Emerson & Friends, Hadley Wren, Living Royal, Slumberkins, Taylor Paladino, TrueBrands, and more. Four $250 gift card prize drawings for retailers with booked appointments will occur throughout the market week. The showroom will be open until 8 p.m. for late nights on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and Thursday, Jan. 18.
Just Got 2 Have It! was founded in 2000 and is proudly woman-owned. It is the premier brand agency specializing in innovation and trend products. Just Got 2 Have It! covers the United States in 37 states, coast to coast, with divisions in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, and West, and has more than 22,000 s.f. of showroom space between its Las Vegas and Atlanta showrooms.
For more about the Atlanta Winter Market, see January’s Kitchenware News & Review and subscribe!
Gift for Life’s Russ Jones Up for ARTS Honor
Gift for Life, the gift and home industries’ sole national charitable organization, is holding a special fundraising campaign celebrating the nomination of GFL board member Russ Jones for his 2024 ARTS Award nomination in the Sales Representative East/Atlantic category. Donations, which benefit GFL beneficiary World Central Kitchen, are accepted at www.giftforlife.org/donate.
ARTS Award winners will be announced at a gala event on Friday, Jan. 12, during the Dallas Total Home and Gift Market. Tickets can be purchased at https://dallasmarketcenter.com/ArtsAwards/reservations/.
“This nomination is a testament to Russ’ ingenuity and passion for the industry he serves,” said Ari Lowenstein, Chair of Gift for Life. “We are so fortunate that he is a part of the GFL board and uses his many talents to benefit World Central Kitchen’s crisis-related hunger relief efforts and to raise funds for GMHC as a member of our Gift for Life AIDS Walk team. We wish him the best of luck in January!”
Russ joined Gift for Life in 2017 and in 2022 spearheaded the launch of Home vs Hunger, the first independently organized partnership between Gift for Life and leading members of the home industry. Since that time, this new home industry charitable initiative has raised nearly $40,000 for World Central Kitchen through events at High Point Market and ad hoc online fundraising.
“Being nominated for the 2024 ARTS Award is a profound honor. This nomination fuels my passion to continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need. I am truly touched by the recognition and excited for what the future holds,” said Jones. “Serving on the Gift For Life Board has been immensely fulfilling, especially in championing the Home vs Hunger initiative, which strives to combat crisis-related hunger through our collective efforts. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to World Central Kitchen’s vital mission and to support GMHC through Gift for Life’s AIDS Walk team.”
For the past 18 years, Jones has worked with Ivystone as a luxe home and hospitality sales representative, working with key accounts and retail stores along with hundreds of New York City design and architectural firms. Prior to Ivystone, Jones had a successful career in showbiz as a singer/dancer on Broadway and ran a gift store called Flights of Fancy for 10 years on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
The ARTS Awards is a peer-nominated program developed by the non-profit ART (Accessories Resource Team) and produced by Dallas Market Center. Submissions are independently reviewed and scored based on criteria established by the ARTS Awards committee, and hundreds of nominations are evaluated to determine the list of finalists.
Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen is a nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in response to crises, while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. Applying a model of quick action, leveraging local resources and adapting in real time, WCK has served more than 300 million nourishing meals around the world. When disaster strikes, WCK’s Relief Team mobilizes with the urgency of now to start cooking and serving meals to people in need.
By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of local restaurants, food trucks, or emergency kitchens, WCK serves comforting meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. To support regional economies, WCK prioritizes purchasing local ingredients to cook with or distribute directly to families in need. WCK knows that good food provides not only nourishment, but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis.
Gift for Life was founded by Peter Schauben in 1992 in response to the tragic loss of industry lives to AIDS. The organization’s first meeting at the National Stationery Show brought together a cross-section of the industry’s leading publishers, market centers, sales reps, manufacturers, and retailers – all willing to convene and work together towards a common goal.
Since that time, Gift for Life has raised nearly $6 million for AIDS research, education, treatment and care through nationwide at-market events, cause marketing programs and direct donations. In 2021, Gift for Life pivoted towards online digital events with a specific emphasis on COVID-related hunger relief and has funded provision of nearly 100,000 hot, nutritious meals to communities impacted by crisis and conflict worldwide. The all-volunteer organization continues to support year-round programs that address hunger relief, as well as annual support for GMHC’s HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and advocacy programs.
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Nassau Candy Updates Decades Box Nostalgic Candy Gift Sets
Nassau Candy, leading manufacturer of specialty and private label confections, is unveiling a new look for its popular Decades Box Nostalgic Candy Gift Sets. The re-design serves up a more interactive experience, making the Decades Boxes more giftable, while featuring a new assortment of nostalgic goodies.
Each new Decades Box has the signature look and feel of the decade while still creating a cohesive presentation when merchandised together. But what makes the re-design extra fun and interactive are hidden facts about that particular decade incorporated into the design. This is intended to spark memories, conversation, and add to the nostalgic experience.
Not only does the new art make the Decades Boxes more appealing gifts, it also makes merchandising simple. The new package art is vertical on one side and horizontal on the other, allowing for multiple merchandising options.
Also new for the re-launch is the addition of a 2000s box. It joins the current line, which features 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s boxes.
“Nostalgic candies are the most sought-after confectionery items,” said Dana Rodio, director of brand strategy for Nassau Candy. “Our re-designed Decades Boxes offer up their longtime candy favorites all in one place, while transporting them back in time with nostalgic imagery and fun facts. That’s why the entire Decades Box line has long been a favorite gift for milestone birthdays and as party centerpieces.”
The fully re-designed Decades Boxes are available and shipping. To see the entire line and other Nassau Candy gifting options, visit, www.nassaucandy.com.
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