NY NOW made a successful return after not being able to hold a trade fair due to the pandemic since Winter Market 2020.
Held from 8 to 11 August 2021, the four-day Summer Market was the first event to be hosted at the newly expanded Jacob K. Javits Centre since its reopening.
“We were thrilled to welcome back our extensive community of brands, buyers and beyond in-person for this edition of NY NOW, which was one of our most successful to date,” says Tim Hart, SVP of NY NOW.
“The level of excitement and joy seen each day reminded us of why it’s important to bring products, people and ideas from around the world together to connect, discover and be inspired.”
NY NOW also unveiled a new brand identity as well as an enhanced on-site experience.
“NY NOW is a timeless brand and truly a landmark event with a long-standing history of creating a unique destination for discovery and generation of commerce for the industry.
“As we all recover from the pandemic, we are seeing all markets come back smaller but as the first event to run at the Javits Centre upon its reopening, we noticed an opportunity to reset and create an experience that heightens the sense of possibility, surprise and excitement―all while celebrating the reopening of New York City.”
Some of the highlights include an awards program; the inauguration of an exhibitor mentoring program which established hundreds of connections between new and emerging brands and respected retailers to provide input on product merchandising, marketing and more; and new product displays, curated by NY NOW creative director Brad Ford, showcasing the best products from the market’s 11 sections.
“NY NOW is a landmark event for small brands and businesses, along with the retail industry at large,” says Ford.
“It was important to us that we create an experience that was enjoyable, inspiring and immersive, and we look forward to building upon the success of this show with future editions of NY NOW.”
Jennifer Braidwood of BRAID & WOOD, a San Diego-based design studio that creates modern and minimal plant hangers for indoor plant lovers, says as a first-time exhibitor it was the perfect fit.
“It’s a beautifully curated show and our experience has been beyond anything I could have imagined,” she enthuses.
“The buyers are here and they’re excited and looking for new products. We’re writing orders, we’re making new contacts and it has been an incredible experience.”
Tara Riceberg from Tesoro, a home design store that specialises in one-of-a-kind, handcrafted items adds that the new visualisation of the show is spectacular.
“All the buyers I’ve spoken to have said this has been the best show of the past decade and exceeds the experience offered by other shows, and they have been writing orders non-stop from the moment they walked in. NY NOW is a must-visit event for any buyer,” she says.
NY NOW is also branching out to the west coast, recently announcing the launch of SF NOW. The show will co-locate with *NOTED, the greeting card expo at the Fort Mason Centre for Arts & Culture and will take place on 28 and 29 April 2022.
“We are thrilled to announce the launch of SF NOW next April in partnership with the Greeting Card Association. We have had consistent feedback from our community that retailers are looking for a Spring buying opportunity on the West Coast in a lighter boutique format and we are delighted to meet that need,” adds Hart.
“Co-locating with *NOTED is a fantastic opportunity to present buyers with a vibrant range of fresh products from across our community and spanning stationery, desktop, lifestyle, gift, home décor, tabletop and many more.”
