In addition to our normal news coverage, What Now Atlanta is tracking ways Atlanta’s businesses are adapting to the novel coronavirus and the challenges it brings to brick-and-mortars.
After conducting an “extensive survey of our universe of gift and home furnishings buyers and suppliers,” AmericasMart is shifting the dates of its summer 2020 Atlanta Market to now run August 13 – 18, 2020.
It has also been shortened to six days and changed its date pattern to run Thursday through Tuesday with its temporary exhibitors vending from August 14 – 17, 2020.
The Atlanta Market was originally on the calendar for July 15 – 19, 2020.
“We fielded our survey to buyers and suppliers who attended or participated in our markets in the last two years representing a universe of 180,000+ retailers and designers and nearly 6,000 of you, our manufacturers and sales agencies, across the gift, home furnishings and apparel industries with results which were statistically significant,” Bob Maricich, Chairman & CEO of AmericasMart owner International Market Centers (IMC), last week wrote in an email to exhibitors.
“A significant percent of retailer respondents expressed an immediate need for inventory, preference for buying new product from existing vendors and intent to source both at physical markets and on digital platforms in the remainder of 2020. Survey results also indicated that COVID-19 related concerns about travel sentiment and market attendance will decrease over time and with key health and safety mitigants. Additionally, the utility of digital tools for sourcing and preparing for in-person markets was cited by many.”
With these changes, Atlanta Market will be the first show of the gift and home industry’s summer market season, according to Maricich.
It will feature new tradeshow layouts “designed to enable social distancing and traffic control.”
“In line with buyer sentiment, we will not host social gatherings for the summer Market,” Maricich wrote.
“All programming and trend features will be presented through digital market channels before, during and after market.”
IMC recently reopened the AmericasMart campus, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar overhaul, for appointment-only traffic as of May 7.
[Editor’s note: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly evolving as is its effect on Atlanta, and the City’s businesses and its residents. Click here for What Now Atlanta’s ongoing coverage of the crisis. For guidance and updates on the pandemic, please visit the C.D.C. website.]
