Here is a quick preview of Thursday’s fashion focused special events:

Increase the Impulse: Live Merchandising Demo

10-11 a.m. Floor 2, Center Stage

We are thrilled to have snagged the Visual Merchandising guru from Fab’rik  {Atlanta-based fashion boutique franchise…that is amazing!} to kick off our Merchandising Demonstration series. Grab some free breakfast and watch Frederick Morelli style accessories to increase impulse SALES! Bonus…I got an insider look at the featured accessories, and they are sure to be top Spring/Summer sellers!

Buyers- if you start your shopping on Thursday, make sure you hit up one of our tote bag giveaway events. Be one of the first to snag the hottest freebie at Market that will definitely look hot on your shoulder! {Check out registration signage and your Apparel Guide for details}

A Stylish Soiree

5:30-6:30 p.m. Floor 9

By this time you will probably be ready for a cocktail, specialty snacks and more shopping! Floor 9 is the place to be for a lavish complimentary cocktail party. The floor will be ready to party with free drinks, delectable foods, a live DJ and…a photo booth! Enjoy the fun- and tweet your pictures to us at @atlantaapparel

We know that our Atlanta Apparel customers aren’t quite ready to stop the party at 6:30 p.m…So, we will all be heading down the street to Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint to continue the party and start this market off right! Juke Joint is about 2 blocks away and well worth the walk. Their food is southern-ly scrumptious and I have been eyeing their drink list all week. Pimms + Lemonade classic potable or the Fresh Watermelon Aya Tini martini? Decisions….decisions…

+ It wouldn’t be an Apparel Market without fashion shows! Catch the catwalk events at Noon and 4 p.m. daily on the floor 2 center stage.

For to-the-minute fashions follow us on Twitter at @atlantaapparel & check back here as I blog LIVE from the Atlanta Apparel floors!

See you tomorrow!

-Amanda Macy Cheek

FRIDAY, JULY 15

Summer Sips in the Gardens
6-7 p.m.
Cool down in the Gardens with a refreshing summer cocktail while browsing the many product offerings the category has to offer. Complimentary to buyers only, quantities limited.
Building 2 WestWing, Floors 9 & 10

SATURDAY, JULY 16

Outdoor Living
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Having previously dabbled in acting, clothing design, and film making, it comes as no surprise that British born Kathryn Ireland has a natural flair for the unexpected. And with all of the color matching, fabric swatches, and careful consideration that go into designing the “perfect space,” Ireland channels her natural, creative eye in order to visualize and bring to fruition some of the most talked about spaces in the design industry. Named by Elle Décor as one of  the top 25 designers in America, Ireland’s designs are as unique and wonderful as her own varied background, and her creativity is accentuated by her desire to create exceptional spaces that are both beautiful to look at and beautiful to live in. Ireland, who has been named by House Beautiful as one of the top 100 designers in the United States (she’s been nominated for ten years and counting), has a passion for interior design as well as for the creativity associated with outdoor entertaining, about which she has written several books. She also has several design showrooms across the globe—including one in LA and in London—and, in one of her newest ventures, she designs beautiful and lavish spaces on Bravo’s new television series, “Million Dollar Decorators.” Come learn from one of the best in the design industry as Kathryn talks about one of her design-related passions—the art of tasteful and gracious outdoor entertaining! A book sale and signing will follow this presentation.
Building 2 WestWing, Floor 10, Seminar Room 10-A-7

Summer Sips in the Gardens
6-7 p.m.
Cool down in the Gardens with a refreshing summer cocktail while browsing the many product offerings the category has to offer. Complimentary to buyers only, quantities limited.
Building 2 WestWing, Floors 9 & 10

SUNDAY, JULY 17

Four Seasons Design with Mar Jennings
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Mar Jennings is a man of many talents. And when it comes to creativity, his design solutions certainly have the power to wow an audience. This former gold medal figure skater proves that he’s got what it takes to go for design gold by combining functionality, originality, and a little bit of sass to create unique outdoor spaces that hint at concepts previously only associated with indoor design (http://www.marjennings.com). One of America’s top lifestyle experts, Mar’s advice and knowledge about specific, applicable design principles for the home and garden are vast—this is not a lecture to be missed! A book sale and signing of his book “LIFE ON MAR’S: A Four Season Garden” will follow his informative lecture.
Building 2 WestWing, Floor 10, Seminar Room 10-A-7

(I was inspired to do this article after visiting my daughter’s store, RUBY,  where I noticed how many little items she had tied together with ribbon as a “set.”  There were several bracelets together, panty packs of two, three or five, a package of three tees, etc.  The pricing was even numbered like $10, $20, etc. and as a shopper I could realize how quick and easy this choice could be. It seemed especially effective for the Valentine shopping season in progress.  The more I thought about it, the more I felt the need to share “bundling up” for better profits with each of you!)

All of us enjoy a sweet deal, by just like icing on the cake, it can be overdone.  Bundling is a delicate blend of ingredients that:

*Sweetens the deal for your customers
* Increases your average sale
* Boosts your employees’ productivity
*Reduces your risks

If you are considering bundling, ask yourself these questions:

1) What are some of the challenges shoppers face in buying clothing
Some folks are color blind or have no fashion sense. They are in a hurry and forget to buy the related purchases they need. They long for help in making    decisions.  A bundle is already combined and ready – no choice.

2) What can I bundle together to make life easier for my customers?
Shoes and Handbags
Assorted Accessories that mix/match
Hosiery for the outfit
Socks for the shoes
Tees with Jeans
Tops w/suits
Slippers with robes
Panties with bras
7 panties (one for each day)
Basic tees set (red, black, white)
Lip gloss and mirror
Gloves & scarf
Anything that makes sense together or fills a need!

3) What benefits would buyers gain from bundles?
Customers would save time, whether shopping for themselves or a gift, they would find things easier. A bundle usually adds more versatility and functionality to a wardrobe by mixing and matching. Shoppers usually think a bundle is a better deal and they feel good about saving.

4) What benefit would the retailer gain from this?
Total sales should increase. Multiples units would be sold. Customers would appreciate the creativity and novelty of the combination.
Employee’s productivity should go up because they will generate more sales dollars per customer.

Look around, what goes together as the perfect bundle in your store?

Learn even more and be further inspired at TJ’s seminar at the Apparel Market on Saturday, April 2 at 10 a.m. She’ll get you excited about driving traffic through promotions and contests. More information on her seminar and full lineup of events can be found here.

More on bundling can be found in “Pricing for Profit” by Dale Furtwengler, available from www.amaconbooks.org.

Offering up the best of the best in glittering jewelry, fresh colors and exclusive styles, exhibitors are glowing as they buyers shop in their unique showroom and temporary booth environments.

Plus, the events started today! The Daily Strut jumpstarted Market with its trendy hightlights, and the Light-Up Lip Gloss Giveaway generated thousands of smiles that illuminated Building 3.

There’s more to come tomorrow! Don’t miss The Style Runway Fashion Show tomorrow evening–preceding the cocktail party at 5:45 on Floor 2. You don’t want to miss this exclusive showcase of next season’s hottest trends, headlined by Judith March.

As this year’s hottest category, accessories have gained the spotlight at Atlanta Apparel. These products that sell—and fast—will dominate Market. Supporting this trend is an educational seminar with forward-thinking speakers tapped to address how and when to add accessories and shoes to your business.  Accessories are crucial for a successful product mix, and this Market, Atlanta Apparel raises the stakes in variety of product offerings with hundreds of lines in jewelry, handbags, watches, belts and more–in styles fit for every buyer.

Plus, don’t miss the Daily Strut Fashion Shows, taking place every day at noon and 3 p.m. These mini-runway events highlight the premier trends of Market and support Friday night’s Style Runway Fashion Show, taking place at 6:30 p.m. on Floor 2.

Atlanta Apparel is your destination for trends, events, education and fun for the upcoming retail season. Prepare to be immersed in the fashion forward excitement tomorrow, Feb. 3 beginning at 11 a.m. with a Light-Up Lip Gloss Giveaway!

To read the entire Market release, click here.

Find Market details here.

With events on multiple floors, special guests in showrooms and the overall excitement, the mood continues to be upbeat. People are busy but productive, getting a lot accomplished while having some fun too.

Opening day for Temps at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market is always exciting, driving extra traffic throughout campus. All the new Temp collections - Birding & Backyard Nature, Global Designs, Handmade Designs/Handmade Jewelry and HD Home – were filled with buyers exploring the floors, searching for new products.

Permanents and Temps open at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. Create a plan to check out all the floors; there are Temps in each building on campus and lots of new and expanded permanent showrooms.

Registration lobbies are still full at peak hours, but we’re open extended hours to help – until 10 p.m.tonight and open again at 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

All seminars, events and AmericasMart University classes were on schedule with a full line-up again tomorrow. Virginia Willis cooked and tried to explain what it means to “be Southern;” class attendees learned Brand Building through social networking strategies; Gerry Klaskala put a modern take on vegetarianism in the demonstration kitchen; six lucky buyers won a Kindle; plus people sipped, snacked and shopped throughout the campus.

Now that’s a full day!

Much more to come in the days ahead…stay tuned!

In 2010, if you didn’t use social networks like Twitter and Facebook to market your store, network with your community and find ways to grow your business, then that’s ok. It’s ok because in 2011 you’re going to do things differently. You’re going to embrace social media and use it as a daily tool to help you grow, learn and succeed! (If you did use social media in 2010, leave a comment on how it helped your business; also assess what worked and what didn’t, then make a 2011 Plan of Social Media Action.)

To get started, here are 5 ways to use social media to ensure a successful show this January.

1. Pictures! If you don’t have a phone with a built in camera, make sure you bring your digital camera to the show because you’re going to want to make your customers so excited for your new products they can’t stand it! Take pictures of some new items or lines you bought at market. Post to your Facebook page and let your networks know that in a matter of days they could get their hands on those items. Posting pictures of the showrooms and people shopping at market is also a great way to let your customers in on your business, taking your relationship with them deeper.

2. Follow Vendors and Sales Agencies. The best way to stay up-to-date at market is to be monitoring your favorite vendors and sales agencies on Twitter and Facebook. You might even find show specials posted on their social media outlets. To find their accounts (if you don’t know them already) visit their websites, go to search.twitter.com and enter the company name or try Googling their name +Twitter.

3. Hashtags! You might not know what a hashtag is, so let me first explain.  Hashtags were developed as a means to create ”groupings” on Twitter. Through these you can tag a post with a keyword so it can be found or referred to later. You create a hashtag simply by prefixing a word with a hash symbol:  #hashtag. Here are a few examples:

via @AmericasMartATL: AmericasMart launches HD Home juried home furnishings/lifestyle collection: http://bit.ly/hFp0ty #atlmart

Via @AlexasAngles: “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.” #quote

Via @snapretail: Cute Displays for the #Holiday Season http://ht.ly/3ipaP #retail#marketing

4. Connect with other retailers. Running a successful retailer store can be hard. One way to learn what works is by talking to a retailer that has proven success. You can find these retailers online and set up a time to share a coffee, walk showrooms together or grab dinner after market. Continuing that conversation throughout the year will help you stay on track and feel the support of someone who knows exactly what you’re going through. A great way to find these retailers is by following the #atlmart hashtag. Another way is by sending out Facebook posts and Tweets that you’ll be attending the market and you’re looking at connecting with other retailers. Finally, go to AmericasMart Facebook page and see who they are talking to/who is posting on their page and reach out to them.

5. Attend a social media seminar at market. As you return to your store after the shows, you should be asking yourself: how will I market the products I just bought? It’s important to create a 2011 marketing plan and make sure social media is a part of that plan.

There are lots of good seminars at Market. I will be speaking on Thursday, Jan 13^th in the Social Media Track. Please consider spending an hour with me on: Top 10 Facebook and Twitter Strategies to Drive Sales.

For a complete list of seminars visit AmericasMart seminar page and SnapRetail’s seminar series page.

If you can embrace social media in 2011, you will find how beneficial it is for your store. Just make sure you know what you’re doing, how to use the sites, and create a plan of action first that way you can track your efforts. Wishing you a happy new year and a successful 2011!

Being that I have spent some serious time there both shopping for fun and shopping for work I have some tips for making the most out of your AmericasMart experience.

1. You MUST wear comfortable shoes. It is not an option, it is a necessity. You will walk forever and you need to be comfortable (or you could just buy cute flats somewhere in Building 3.)

2. Get a map/directory and hold on to it! If you are coming for the first time you might get disoriented but a campus map and the directory will get you where you need to go.

3. Bring business cards. As a designer this should be automatic, but it is the easiest way to hook up with showrooms. Give an associate your business card and ask them to send you whatever you need to set up an account/line list/etc. This way you don’t leave with 5,000 brochures, unless you’re into that.

4. It also doesn’t hurt to keep a copy of your Tax ID and Business License in your bag. I carry mine around and I pull it out more then you could imagine.

5. Bring a small notebook that can fit in your bag. You will need it.

6. Have your camera ready and charged. Of course always ask if you are allowed to take pictures, but I find that snapping a photo of what it is I like and then jotting down where it is from, is the best way to keep track of what I see. There are so many showrooms and options that if you like a piece, snap a photo, get the info, then send that photo to your showroom rep and chances are they can hook you up with the rest of the line.

7. Utilize the Coat Checks! You will have your hands full, you will have a bag, maybe a cart as well, they will get full and cumbersome. There are coat checks located in each building near the lobby or registration area, ditch your coat, it’s one less thing to struggle with.

8. Market Wednesdays are awesome. If you can’t make it to Market or if the idea of fighting ATL traffic downtown on a busy Market Week isn’t appealing, hit up Market Wednesday. They are typically every other month (check www.americasmart.com for exact dates) and most showrooms are open specifically on those dates. Sometimes showrooms are open every day, some are only open during Market, etc. But most vendors make and effort to be open for Market Wednesdays.

9. Coffee. If you need coffee like I need coffee (or water and sustenance in general) you can find it in every building! Specifically: Building 1, floors: 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16, 19. Building 2, floors: 8, 10, 12. Building 3, floors: 1, 2, 5, 6.

10. Strategy: I like to work from the top down and walk the loop in each building. It helps to have an idea of where you want to go and what you are looking for in advance, that way you make the most of your time. If you aren’t up for chatting with vendors or showroom staff and just want to get through as much as possible, I like taking my directory and noting each showroom that looks appealing and then contacting them for information later. That way I can see as much as possible and still get the information I need when the time comes.

__

If you don’t see Niki on the Home floors, you can find her at the “Blogging, Business and Bites” panel on Saturday, January 15. She, along with three other blogging peers, will give insider tips on how blogging can build your business. It all starts at 4 p.m. in Building 1, floor 14, 14-D-9.

This is a “can’t miss” event if you are interested in learning how you can better use AmericasMart as an interior design resource. First, hear Stan’s tips, strategies, design solutions and inspirations. Then, he will take you on a guided tour throughout the Home floors and showrooms where he will point out some of the best designer showrooms, products and lines. You are sure to leave this event with a better understanding of the reasons why many interior designers, including the legendary Stan Topol, consider AmericasMart one of the most valuable resources in the Nation.

Friday, January 14, 2011
2:30 p.m.
All About Home: Talk and Walk with Stan Topol
Building 1, Floor 14, Seminar Room 14-D-9

R.S.V.P. Please e-mail tturberville@americasmart.com by Monday, January 3, 2011.