It's not enough to simply open our doors to the industry. In today's challenging economy we have to make our event extraordinarily beneficial and well worth the trip.
Robert Maricich, President and CEO, World Market Center

This month's Summer Las Vegas Furniture Market will be the first time all exhibits, showrooms, social events and seminars will be on one central campus. The market runs July 28 – August 1.

World Market Center's President and CEO Robert Maricich says the grand opening of Building-C is a watershed event. "It celebrates a critical mass of over 5 million square feet of world class showrooms in one integrated, state-of-the-art campus."

"It's not enough to simply open our doors to the industry," Maricich continued. "In today's challenging economy we have to make our event extraordinarily beneficial and well worth the trip. We will have more new product introductions than any other Market and programming geared to truly help attending buyers compete profitably."

Summer 2008 Las Vegas Market Highlights:

- See Building C: The opening of Building C, a 2.1 million square foot addition to the growing home furnishings campus will allow more than 300 new exhibitors to show at the Las Vegas Market.

- Tonight's the Night: Grammy winning Rod Stewart will welcome attendees on the opening night of Market, July 28. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recording artist will take center stage and delight thousands of market attendees with a free concert performance following the ribbon-cutting celebration with project officials and special guests at 5:30 p.m. in the newly completed Grand Plaza.

- Furniture, Furnishings & Finds in Five Million Square Feet: This July, attendees will find more new design-forward manufacturers and resources, more new ideas and product launches, more permanent showrooms and image-creating style. They will also see the latest in trend-setting and eco-friendly furnishings across all product categories. In total, the Summer 2008 Las Vegas Market will feature more than five million square feet of showrooms in three interconnected buildings -- boasting many of the most prominent brands in the home furnishings industry. Market-goers will discover new product introductions from nearly 1,500 exhibiting companies.

- High-End, Green & International Highlights: An exclusive selection of exhibits are being featured in prominent dedicated locations throughout the campus, including the high-end Context, Living Green and Design & Living juried sections. The premium placement of these temporary exhibits on the fifth floor of Building C represents the Market's continuing commitment to the vibrant international, high-end, design and sustainability sectors of the industry. A number of leading luxury brands will also be featured in the Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center Las Vegas, a year round resource for designers located on the lower floors of the new Building C. Continuing the theme of high design, World Market Center Las Vegas and Fiera Milano have forged a partnership to collaborate on joint promotions, including a showcase featuring the best in Italian furniture design from the past 50 years. The Design Italiano exhibit will debut for the first time in the U.S. at July's Market and will showcase the best in Italian furniture with top Italian designers including B&B Italia, Cassina, Flexform, Minoti and Giorgetti on the atrium level of Building C.

- Superb Seminars & Powerful Programs: The Summer Las Vegas Market features an especially robust offering of programs, including educational, trend-focused, green and design-oriented events throughout the week. Looking for the newest trends for the years to come? The Forecast Series offers a sneak peak of what's hot in future seasons. The Brave New World Environmental Leadership Series covers all Market-goers need to know about "going green." Special attention is also being devoted to help retailers capture more profits and better understand the increasingly important juvenile market. The Vegas Kids area will host educational seminars and a special reception, as will the new Lodge Living area in Building C. In addition to the many Market-sponsored events and educational programming, the Western Home Furnishings Association will feature dozens of business-building seminars throughout the week in the Retail Resource Center on the 16th Floor of Building B. Expect the Summer Las Vegas Market to feature plenty of celebrity appearances and lavish receptions as well.