Larger, more visible venue in Vegas draws attention
Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, 1/30/2008 8:12:00 AM
LAS VEGAS – John Byfield, president of Zola Eco-Friendly Furnishings, headed into his showing at the Living Green exhibit here at market with a little extra momentum: a large pre-order just before the show from a customer he’d seen last year.
Add to that satisfactory first day order-writing – most orders in July were placed after the show – and more space – this year’s show features about 14,000 square feet of product, compared to 6,000 in 2007 – and the result has been a very good market so far for the higher-end furniture manufacturer.
"It's stronger business out of the gate," Byfield said.
Those in the Living Green exhibit most certainly couldn't complain about the space. The exhibit is prominently featured near the front entrance of the MGM Grand Pavilion, while last year’s exhibit was tucked near the back of the Sands Expo Convention Center.
"So far so good. People are writing orders," said Tim Loveday of Channel Logic, which negotiates the exhibit's contract with the World Market Center. This year, 27 companies exhibited in the space. He said he's also received phone calls from other national and international shows that are interested in creating similar exhibits.
Zola's Byfield said that this year he's noticing that shoppers are asking a very important question: What are your credentials?
And he has a ready response.
"We talk about how the company operates, we purchase renewable power, we use all FSC-certified woods, low VOC stains and finishes, true organic cotton and 100% natural latex," Byfield said.
Much of his traffic thus far has been from specialty retailers focused on eco-friendly offerings.
"We have a very targeted audience," Byfield said. "If people are making the effort to come over here to the green pavilion, they have in mind a kind of product they’re looking for. Or someone asked them about it. Or they realize it’s coming," Byfield said.
Others, like Bradford Davis, president and CEO of office and occasional producer Knu, said he's using this show to see if he can find the right retail partnerships to expand significantly into residential home furnishings. Currently, the company sells about $9 million annually in contract furnishings.
"We went to a San Francisco show and it wasn't great. We did more interesting business here in two hours than in two days there," Davis said.
Knu has received a strong response to its designs here this week, Davis said. But to make the move into residential worthwhile, the company will have to line up some stores that are capable of moving significant volume.
"Onesee and twosees are a tough road to hoe," Davis said.
Davis said Knu’s credentials include offsetting its carbon footprint 100%; using hazardous air pollutant compliant, low VOC finishes; and sourcing wood primarily from FSC-certified vendors. Many of its products contain an average of 40% recycled steel and highly polished aluminum on the legs, and the company gets most of its supplies from within a 50-mile radius of the factory.
All in all, he said he's pretty satisfied with the response Knu has received at market.
"Are we writing a lot of orders? No. Are we meeting some people? Yes. This is a foray into uncharted waters," Davis said.
