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With its targeted selection of upscale kitchenware resources, the debut of the Gourmet Housewares Show at the summer 2011 New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF®) was well-received by exhibitors and attendees alike. The show featured some 150 high-end housewares suppliers, which had special appeal for some 7,000 NYIGF attendees – 20 percent of the total NYIGF audience -- expressing a specific interest in housewares and kitchenware.

Exhibitors, benefitting from exposure to a wider variety of new retail channels and international markets, reported strong sales and supported the co-location of the Gourmet Housewares Show with the NYIGF. “Having a dedicated ‘gourmet’ section is a wonderful addition to the NYIGF, and New York City is just a natural fit,” says Rick Mills, national sales manager of ASD Living. “It enables us to see our existing customers and also expose our products to new customers. All of the big chains are here, as well as a good mix of smaller, independent stores and we’re very pleased.”

Exhibitors included companies who transitioned into the Gourmet Housewares Show from other NYIGF divisions, as well as many new to NYIGF. “We launched our company just 30 days ago, and the NYIGF has connected us to both a domestic and international audience,” says Eric Miller, partner of Corkcicle. “Gourmet was the right division for us, with a certain look, layout and flow that works.”

Show highlights included three gourmet-themed educational seminars – covering cross-merchandising, sustainability and consumer preferences, and presentation of the First Annual Gourmet Housewares Show Best New Product Awards.

Since its inception in 1975, the Gourmet Housewares Show has provided a professional marketplace for the gourmet products and upscale housewares industries.

Source: The Gourmet Housewares Show/ NYIGF