Giftware News eWeekly, August 28, 2008

• Urban Expositions' Fulghum To Retire
• Alexa's Angels Partners with Canadian Gift Concepts
• Whereoware Debuts Three New Customized Websites
• DMC Holds Best New Product Contest
• NYIGF Date Change
• Seen & Heard at the Summer Markets

Urban Expositions' Fulghum To Retire
Founding partner of Urban Expositions, the Atlanta-based trade show management company, Tom Fulghum will be retiring from the company on January 1, but plans to stay on in a consultancy role after that date.

Alexa's Angels Partners with Canadian Gift Concepts
Alexa's Angels, known for inspirational jewelry and gifts, has signed a distribution agreement with Canadian Gift Concepts Corporation for sales of its products throughout Canada. Canadian Gift Concepts Corporation is a jewelry and gift distributor with a retail base that includes gift shops, hospital gift shops, pharmacies, florists and hardware stores.

Whereoware Debuts Three New Customized Websites
Whereoware, a web-based technology provider in the gift, home décor, and furniture industries, has launched new websites for three industry-based companies: Stein World LLC, a designer, importer, and distributor of residential accent furniture and portable lighting; Howard Elliott, a designer, manufacturer, and importer of decorative hand-finished mirrors, tabletop, floor accessories, and table linens; and Magnet Works Ltd., a manufacturer of outdoor home décor products. Each of the companies' sites also includes an integrated web-marketing program. Eric Dean, president of Whereoware commented: "We worked closely with each of these companies to create a website and e-marketing program strategically tailored to their unique needs and goals. We look at a website redesign as a major opportunity not only to strengthen a company's brand online but to integrate its online brand with the entire operation and drive orders through this online channel."

Magnet Works' site (www.magnetworks.com) features Whereoware's Active Merchandiser program which allows customers to browse, shop, and buy from Magnet Works' catalog online. The site also allows customers to check on orders and review their account history. Howard Elliott's site (www.howardelliot.com) includes the added ability to buy online. The new Stein World website (www.steinworld.com) features real-time integration into their Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) and a portal designed specifically for their sales representatives.

DMC Holds Best New Product Contest
Dallas Market Center will be holding a contest in search for the best new products in the world. Titled "The Next Big Thing," the contest is for anyone with an idea. DMC stresses the finished product should be unique and innovative with an outstanding design and concept. The contest allows up-and-comers, companies or individuals, to show their product(s) in front of domestic and international retail buyers at Dallas Market Center. Three finalists will receive airfare and hotel to the upcoming Dallas Total Home & Gift Market FINDS Temp Show in January to show their product in a complimentary exhibit space. Applications can be downloaded at www.dallasmarketcenter.com by clicking on "The Next Big Thing" and should be submitted via e-mail to thenextbigthing@dmcmail.com or mailed to The Next Big Thing; c/o Dallas Market Center; 2100 Stemmons Freeway, MS 120; Dallas, Texas; 75207.

NYIGF Date Change
The winter New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) has announced that all divisions and locations of the show have a new date and will run Sunday, January 25, through Thursday, January 29. This one-time shift, from NYIGF's traditional Saturday-Thursday staggered opening/closing date pattern, will occur due to venue availability. These opening and closing dates apply to all nine of the fair's divisions.

Seen & Heard at the Summer Markets Pine Ridge Art had their debut show in Colorado at the Hiskey & Company Showroom in the Denver Merchandise Mart for the Denver Gift Show this month. Pine Ridge Art has an extensive line of stationery and giftware, and showed a carefully selected group of products focused on their top-selling Christmas and Hoof Beats Equestrian collections, in order to present unique concepts on how the product line can be presented in different types of stores. Boxed items like the signature mug series as well as their popular deluxe Christmas card sets sell well in the Denver area. www.pineridgeart.com Winners abounded at the NYIGF! Several divisions held "Best of" contests; following are those events and the winners. Best New Product Awards for EX·TRACTS Best of Show: Sohum for its Royale Collection, a range of ten new fragrances, wrapped like a sweet for ready gifting. Bath & Body Category: Es'Scents International for its Lavish Bath Melts Beauty Accessory Category: What's Hot! for its eyeSlices, disposable eye treatment pads, patented with hydrogel technology. Cosmetic & Fragrance Category: Mommy Makeup for its Clean-n-Casual Kit; the kit includes five products for the whole face - from start to finish - creating a fresh, bright-eyed look and including paint by number instructions. Natural/Organic Category: Erbaviva for its Organic Deodorant, with pure, blended organic essential oils chosen for their natural bacteria fighting and odor reducing properties. Packaging Category: POO~POURRI for its POO~POURRI, "before-you-go" bathroom freshener. Best New Product Awards for New York Home Textiles Market Week Best Of Market: Andrew Morgan Collection for its Palace Gates sustainable knitted blanket. Made of 100% innova polypropelene, the blanket is stain-resistant, anti-bacterial, thermal conductive and can be reduced completely to its original form. Bed Category: Cuddledown for its Limited Edition "World's Lightest Comforter," which is designed with a whispery, lightweight, yet durable shell made of 100% combed cotton German Batiste and filled with pure 900 Fill Power European White Goose Down. Bath Category: MATTEO for its Ida Baby Bathrobe, made of quilted organic linen with low-impact dyes. Dining Category: Settings by Mona for its fringe tablecloth and chair cap. Made of 100% cotton organdy and linen, the hand-embroidered tablecloth has a built-in napkin ring holder and is machine washable. Home Accessories Category: Shades of India for its Moonbeam Cushion Cover, covered in different sized mirrors, all of which are lined by metallic threads. Accent on Design Awards Four exhibitors in the juried Accent on Design division for design creativity and ingenuity. Best New Product Design: Artecnica for the WirePod designed by Jors Laarman, for integrating the shape and form of electric wire into the overall design environment, freeing wires once hidden from view. The flexible gray power pod unfurls gracefully as needed to adjust for functional living space. Best Collection: Wabnitz Editions LTD for its unwavering curatorial eye that nurtures up and coming designers, as well as established favorites. The roster includes Tarzan and Jane vases by Ettore Sottsas, Cinderella Tablecloth by Inekehans Collection, Urchin poufs by Christien Meindertsma and useless tools by Karl Zahn. Best Booth Presentation: J. Fold for its concrete approach to displaying soft goods. Best Booth Presentation: sällbo design for its perfect integration of product that blurs the line between display and product. As reported in last week's Seen & Heard, Peggy Hedgpeth of Golden Rabbit, vendor of enamel trays, plates, mugs, pet bowls, baby gift sets, was pleased with the overall traffic in the tabletop section. As shown here, the popcorn accessories were quite popular for the company. Buyers responded particularly well to the enamel large popcorn bowl, gift boxed as a gift to go. "If you offer high perceived value, retailers will buy," said Hedgpeth.

Jolene Turner writes the Giftware News eWeekly; if you have news or any upcoming show information, contact Jolene at jturner@talcott.com.