From AmericasMart Atlanta: the gift show season begins

It’s the start of day three at the Atlanta show; for the most part, it’s been a series of nice surprises.

Vendors are consistently reporting more buyers than expected, but just as quickly admit their expectations were pretty low, based on the results of 4Q. They also report that traffic seemed to drop a bit Saturday-—odd-—but that the average per-order total seemed to tick a bit higher. There are a lot of notes being jotted and “What’s your minimum?” discussions going on as buyers take a cautious approach to buying. Everyone recognizes that cash flow will determine if and when reorders are placed.

These first days, everyone’s mood has been good. Elevator lobbies weren’t any busier than in July, but the showrooms were comfortably full throughout Building 2. The temps in Building 3 were holding their own, although the traffic seemed to ebb and flow a bit more than the norm.

AmEx should also be in a good mood. Seemed every buyer flashing a credit card was doing so with one of theirs, squeezing out as many airline and hotel points as possible to cover future show trips.

As for the new addition, 2 West Wing (2WW), it’s spectacular. High Design moved from it’s far flung Building 1 location to much larger, brighter, more inspiring digs on the second floor that showcase vendors’ wares in a much more appealing environment. Between the high white ceilings, the traditional gleaming white carpet and the wall of windows that drenches the room in natural light, it’s hard not to feel something special is at hand.Vendors in this area were happy with their new home, as were retailers.

Upstairs, on the top two floors, I got my first glimpse of The Gardens, where all outdoor living vendors now reside. Instead of showrooms, you find open spaces, winding garden paths, and  a two-story waterfall that periodically dances to a musical score, raising the drama a bit. The Disney Imaginarian who helped design the space certainly did AmericasMart justice.

Riding the escalators to the eighth floor, I found Gourmet, which at first didn’t strike me as anything special. From that viewpoint, it looked very similar to the white hallways of Building 2, but after strolling a bit, I hit the heart of the floor-—a large, open area with dramatic open display spaces for vendors, each centered around a central hub demo kitchen worthy of The Food Network. Surrounded by a standing room only crowd one full hour before Tyler Florence’s upcoming session, it was hard not to get caught up in the buzz. (I wasn’t able to attend, but rumor has it Rocco DiSpirito rocked things out in fine style on Friday). This afternoon, I’ll be hitting the Riedel Wine Tasting that demonstrates how the glass can impact the wine in it; afterward, it’s a concert by Cool and the Gang in the Building 3 Atrium.

Yeah, I love my job.

All in all, folks are a bit relieved right now. Buyers are optimistic that they can find a way to navigate the new norm, and vendors are relieved to see warm bodies in the halls. Whether or not this pattern holds through New York in two weeks remains to be seen, but so far, so good.

Now…off to scope out more showrooms and product. Lots to do, too little time to do it.