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Editorial
On
the Road Again
If
it’s spring in the window coverings industry, then chances
are you have been traveling, are traveling or are about to travel.
While the end of the year is busy finishing all the decorating projects
clients want done for the holidays, the first half of the year tends
to be busy with trade shows and conferences.
This year started out in January with Heimtextil in Frankfurt,
Germany. According to the show’s producer, 90,000 visitors
attended the show where more than 2,900 companies exhibited home
textiles and interior fashions. Much closer to home, Surfaces 2005
was held the same month at the Sands Expo & Convention Center
in Las Vegas, NV. Surfaces producers say more than 1,000 companies
exhibited, setting a record. Surfaces’ main audience is the
floor coverings industry including carpet, hardwood, stone and laminate,
but this year in an effort to help dealers in these areas branch
out into other revenue streams a window and wall coverings pavilion
was added (sponsored by Draperies & Window Coverings and Interiors
& Sources magazines). Almost 40,000 visitors attended this year’s
show.
For those really into traveling, Maison & Objet was held at
the end of January in Paris, France. It often is billed as representing
the height of luxury home fashions and trends (but of course!).
This year, a reported 70,000 buyers attended. While in Europe you
could have stayed on to attend Blinds and Shutters 2005 in England,
sponsored by the British Blind and Shutter Association. About 2,500
visitors met with some 70 exhibitors showcasing interior and exterior
window coverings including soft shades and “window dressing.”
Back in the U.S., February brought the first of two Custom Home
Furnishings Educational Conference and Trade Shows (the second conference
is scheduled for October near Philadelphia in Valley Forge, PA.)
Approximately 500 attendees joined some 50 exhibitors and more than
65 seminar sessions on workroom techniques and business management.
(Stay tuned for an announcement regarding next year’s surprising
schedule.)
That pretty much brings us to April and the International Window
Coverings Expo (see page 46 for a preview showcase of products to
be exhibited). This show is the one, big event of the year for the
U.S. window coverings industry. It will be held at the Georgia International
Convention Center in College Park, outside Atlanta, GA. The IWCE
is the main draw for many meetings and gatherings whether officially
connected with the show or not. For example the Window Coverings
Association of American (WCAA) holds an annual reception and cocktail
party, and the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA)
will announce the winners of its annual Product Innovation Awards.
So even if you already have been doing a lot of traveling this year,
it’s not time to unpack your bags yet.
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