Having premiered successfully in 2019, DOMOTEX USA is gearing up for its second season, which runs from 5 to 7 February 2020 at the World Congress Center in Atlanta. Organized by Hannover Fairs USA, a Deutsche Messe subsidiary, DOMOTEX USA is the only combined trade show and conference event in North America that focuses exclusively on carpets and floor coverings. It is designed to foster business between manufacturers of flooring products and retail/wholesale companies, US building contractors, floor installation companies and purchasing groups. The show’s display categories encompass carpets, machine and handmade area rugs, hardwood flooring, laminate flooring, resilient flooring, outdoor floor coverings, and manufacturing, application and installation technology.

Big players and boutique specialists

For its upcoming season, DOMOTEX USA will again feature a stellar lineup of exhibitors. The 2020 exhibitor list includes some of the biggest names in the business, such as USFloors and Anderson Tuftex, as well as boutique providers of one-off originals. Among the best-known companies to have booked exhibition space so far are The Dixie Group, Mullican Flooring, Milliken, American OEM, and Foss Floor, to name but a few.

2019 exhibitors express confidence

“We were very satisfied with the outcomes we achieved from the inaugural show,” said Pat Oakley, VP Marketing, Mullican Flooring. The response to his company’s showcase was very encouraging. “Many of our sales partners and the most important partners from our dealer network were there.” Mullican was anticipating an increase in attendee numbers at the upcoming show, he said.

Brian Warren, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Foss Floors, said the show delivered “only benefits” to his company. “We sell a lot of textile products to industry partners, many of whom are based here in North Georgia. Nationwide customers like home centers and big-box retailers are another important channel for us. They were all there, and so it was a fantastic opportunity to showcase all of our products. We were overwhelmed by the response.”

Inspiring education sessions and networking opportunities

At DOMOTEX USA 2020, attendees will benefit from an extensive and stimulating conference-style educational program, with plenty of opportunities for quality networking on the sidelines. The program is structured into four thematic areas for different target audiences – Flooring Retailers, Interior Designers, Flooring Installers, and Builders/Contractors/Remodelers – and runs over three days. In an exciting new development, the program will include two accredited designers sessions per day thanks to a new partnership between the organizers and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). In addition, each day of the educational program will open with an address by a keynote or featured speaker. Wednesday will open with international economic analyst Alan Beaulieu; the opening keynote on Thursday will be given by brand leadership expert Denise Lee Yohn, and Friday’s opening address will be given by retail consultant and trainer James Dion.

Platform for successful networking

The educational presentations will be interspersed with plenty of opportunities for networking and dialogue with experts. For example, there’s the Opening Night Reception on Thursday, 6 February, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Earlier that day there is a lunchtime special-ticket event for interior designers titled “Design Personified: Turning Trends into Reality”. There is also an education forum in the central Plaza area of the venue. The forum is free of charge to all participants and includes a panel discussion featuring representatives of leading flooring industry companies. The education content also includes the new DOMOTEX USA Discussion Hub, a peer-to-peer learning platform where attendees can talk to industry experts, network and chat one-on-one with speakers after their presentations. The schedule for the educational sessions as well as for the Discussion Hub and is available on the DOMOTEX USA website.

The DOMOTEX USA online presence features an innovative #whyidomotex interview series in which industry professionals, including interior designers, planners, manufacturers and retailers, give feedback on the inaugural DOMOTEX USA and outline their aims and expectations for the 2020 showcase.

“I am really looking forward to DOMOTEX USA. I’m excited to find out how the event grows and develops in its second year,” said Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director DOMOTEX. “Apart from that, the atmosphere in the exhibition halls, and just the general feel of the event as a whole, is amazing. You can really tell you’re in the USA! There is also a fantastic educational program with lots of fascinating presentations that I’m keen to take a look at.”

Dates for the upcoming show: 5–7 February 2020
Venue: World Congress Center, Atlanta, USA

domotexusa.com

Published verbatim courtesy of DOMOTEX USA.

Jellybean® Rugs will acquire all Homefires™ brand area and accent rugs effective January 1, 2020.

“This an exciting time for Jellybean® as we revitalize and reorganize our company and our products,” states Renee Ringstad, President Jellybean Rugs (Home Comfort, Inc.). “The bold move to bring all Homefires™ brands into Jellybean® will make our company more efficient and focused, while providing our great customers a single supplier relationship for all the products that they buy from both brands. The added convenience of being able to source all our brands from one sales rep, website or customer service representative will be a welcome change for many of our customers.”

“The retail landscape is being reinvented as we speak, and we are looking forward to the challenges that these new opportunities and environments present,” continued Ringstad. “The world of ‘online’ shopping has injected various challenges to our traditional business roles, but it is also providing possibilities which are limited only by our imaginations. Bringing all our brands under our well-loved and recognized Jellybean® brand is just one of the strategies that we will be embracing in 2020 and beyond. Understanding and embracing the changes in the retail environment makes the changes in our own company feel more exciting and invigorating… as if we, too, are being reinvented. After being in business for over 40 years, it is very thrilling to anticipate the next 40.”

Jellybean Rugs’ company showroom is located in Atlanta in Building 2, #787A. The company looks forward to the move in 2020 and welcomes visitors at all the major gift shows around the country.

homecomfortrugs.com

As the 40th anniversary year of Kalaty Rug Corporation’s founding in the USA draws to a close, the company is capping off the end of this milestone year with the debut of two new-and-exciting full-color catalogs that showcase the company’s vast, impressive area rug product line.

International Market Centers (IMC) announced a $33.5 million capital investment in its High Point Market properties, including a dynamic new arrival experience for the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC) Commerce entrance as well as customer-facing renovations and refurbishments to several of its other downtown High Point properties.

Las Vegas Market offers a comprehensive lineup of programming for Winter 2020 Las Vegas Market, offering buyers and designers opportunities to connect with peers, become educated on the latest industry trends and earn CEU credits. Winter Market runs Jan. 26 – Jan. 30, 2020. (Note: A complete schedule of seminars and events is available at https://www.lasvegasmarket.com/plan/event-seminar-landing.)

Leading floor covering and home accents manufacturer Nourison is focusing on hot trends and cool styles at High Point Market, introducing a mix of new designs and additions to best-selling area rug collections. Among the hot trends and cool styles include new CALVIN KLEIN collections, best-selling Divine and Prismatic collections, and popular Starry Nights collection which just launched this summer.