Alton Brown, star of Good Eats and other renowned shows on Food Network, had back-to-back appearances at AmericasMart this weekend. On Saturday, he performed in the Gourmet Kitchen on Floor 8 in Building 2WW for a record crowd. On Sunday, he came back for a book signing. Buyers started lining up at 9 a.m. for his 10:30 a.m. start. And, the line wrapped around the 8th floor! The first 100 buyers received a free book! Alton...

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture is proud to sponsor a North Carolina Pavilion at the January 2010 Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market. The creation of the pavilion is attributed to the success and growth of the Gourmet category in Atlanta. The pavilion will be located within the temporaries: Building 2WW, Floor 2, Booth 305.  It will feature more than 400 square feet of gourmet goodies...

AmericasMart celebrated the best of the gift and gourmet industry during the September Atlanta Fall Gift & Home Furnishings MarketSM and the Atlanta Gourmet Market® this past weekend with two distinguished awards: Best of Show-recognizing outstanding visual display in the Gift and Gourmet temporaries-and Best of Atlanta-an annual AmericasMart-exclusive honor-spotlighting superior gourmet products and celebrating...

The Atlanta Fall Gift & Home Furnishings Market started with a rush Saturday morning. Registration lobbies were filled with buyers eager to hit the floors. While many were looking to fill in sparse inventories prior to the holiday rush, a group from VerdeGo – a design and garden center in Bunnell, Fla. – was in Atlanta to buy for a new store as they expand to a second location. There were plenty of educational...

The renowned Gift Basket University (GBU) is back for the September Gift & Home Furnishings and Atlanta Gourmet Markets. During the two-day, two-session program, buyers will gain knowledge on innovative ways to re-think and create gift designs for all buyers, including those with budgets on their minds! It starts this Saturday with “Keeping in their price range…Budget Friendly Gift Designs” Gift...

I know it’s hard to believe but the holiday season is just around the corner.  That means gearing up for those all important holiday sales dollars.  With consumer confidence still on shaky ground; what can gift professionals do to stay ahead of the competition?  I offer one crucial word: packaging.  Raising the perceived value of your holiday gifts is much easier when you offer creative and affordable packaging...

Buyers shopping the Temporaries in July weren’t here to look – they were here to buy and make the most of their travel to Atlanta. The addition of Building 2 WestWing in January 2009 helps prevent overcrowded aisles and provides more space to comfortably walk the floors so buyers can easily look at everything offered in each category. And they were definitely looking at products carefully. Jennifer Freeman,...

No matter where you look, there are products that are both on-trend and consumer-friendly. Here are a few ideas to look for while walking the showrooms and temp floors at Market: General Gift:  Language Arts – A picture is worth a thousand words, but words can be as powerful when they’re the primary graphic. A bold letter. A striking phrase. Everyone has a favorite type. Tabletop/Fine Gift: A Full Palette...