Summer 2008 Las Vegas Market, held July 28 to August 1, set an opening day attendance record at the World Market Center, Las Vegas, NV, and went on to see attendance rise four percent over a year ago to more than 50,000, according to a report from the show’s producer.
This show saw a dramatic increase in attending buyers, with 15 percent more retailers and 93 percent more designers attending 2008 Summer Market than in July 2007, according to Robert Maricich, World Market Center president and CEO.
In all, more than 1,500 exhibitors showed their newest products, including 320 new companies and 120 companies that expanded their presence. July’s Market featured more than 200 international exhibitors from 20 countries. Of the non-U.S. companies exhibiting this summer, 30 percent were from Canada, 29 percent were European-based, 21 percent were based in Latin America and 20 percent were from Asia.
World Market Center Las Vegas is an integrated home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom and trade complex. With the opening of Building C, World Market Center now stands at more than five million square feet of space. When fully built, at 12 million square feet in eight buildings, World Market Center will be the largest trade show complex in the world. The $3 billion, state-of-the-art campus will showcase furniture, decorative accessories, gift, lighting, area rugs, home textile and related segments, as well as the Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC), open year-round.
The Winter 2009 Las Vegas Market is scheduled for February 9 to 13, 2009.

California and Hawaii-based Zen-Zen Home & Garden showcased new fair trade fabric lines.