ANDMORE & ICFA REVAMP FORMAT OF CASUAL MARKET ATLANTA IN 2024
Similar buying experiences offered for retailers and designers at Markets in July & September
ATLANTA, GA – January 10, 2024
In a move intended to support the needs of outdoor furnishings retailers and designers with a complete buying experience when it best suits the demands of their businesses, ANDMORESM and ICFA announce the expansion of the 2024 editions of Casual Market Atlanta with a significant new educational opportunity in July and the addition of temporary exhibits in September. Summer Casual Market Atlanta runs July 15 – 18 and Fall Casual Market runs September 16 – 18, at AmericasMart Atlanta.
“These updates to Casual Market Atlanta signal the embrace of AmericasMart Atlanta as the casual and outdoor industry’s new marketplace home,” said Bob Maricich, CEO of ANDMORE. “With these changes, Casual Market Atlanta now offers equal sourcing opportunities, as well as expanded education and networking, in both July and September.”
Educational Opportunities Expand in July
Beginning in 2024, International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) will reinstate its Retail Roundtable and Think Tank program, a long-standing, half-day educational program, at the Summer Casual Market Atlanta. The afternoon session, open to buyers and designers, is scheduled on Sunday, July 14, one day prior to the opening of permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits.
“Since its inception more than a decade ago, ICFA’s Retail Roundtable has been one of the most popular events for dealers to gain new insights about their store operations by learning and sharing experiences with fellow merchants,” noted Jackie Hirschhaut, executive director of the Association. “The Think Tank component was added a few years ago to create a quick-thinking, problem-solving exercise that generated immediate advice for participants to bring back to their stores.” A portion of each registration fee is donated to City of Hope, ICFA’s philanthropy partner.
The new ICFA pre-market programming complements current Summer Casual Market Atlanta offerings: 165+ combined casual furniture and outdoor accessories permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits presented on seven floors in Building 1 at AmericasMart Atlanta, along with hallmark at-market education and networking. A series of ICFA-hosted events are among highlights of the summer edition: the ICFA 66th Birthday Bash, Pink Out benefitting City of Hope, the ICFA Awards Gala plus the ICFA Annual Membership and Board meetings.
Sourcing Opportunities Extend in September
Beginning in September 2024, Fall Casual Market will welcome the return of temporary exhibits to complement permanent showroom offerings. To align with these changes, the September trade show will be renamed Fall Casual Market Atlanta.
With these changes, Fall Casual Market Atlanta now offers a combined 115+ permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits presented on six floors in Building 1 at AmericasMart Atlanta. Other September offerings include educational programming and continuation of the popular “Braves & Brews” baseball event first held in 2023.
In addition to the twice-yearly editions of Casual Market Atlanta, AmericasMart Atlanta presents additional business opportunities for casual and outdoor buyers and sellers alike. Some 40 casual furnishings showrooms in Building 1 are open on a daily basis to provide one-on-one consultations. In total, 350+ home, décor, gift and apparel showrooms are open year-round throughout the AmericasMart Atlanta complex. Special programming includes a Design + Dine event, showcasing outdoor and casual furniture resources on Wednesday, February 21, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., will. For more information, visit https://www.americasmart.com/en/Year-Round.
About Casual Market Atlanta: Casual Market Atlanta, presented by the International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA), is the outdoor living industry’s twice-yearly trade show and year-round sourcing destination. With the largest concentration of casual furnishings and outdoor furniture in one location, retailers and designers source product across seven floors of permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits at AmericasMart Atlanta. Casual Market Atlanta is co-produced by ICFA and ANDMORE, formerly International Market Centers. For more information, visit CasualMarketAtlanta.com.
About ANDMORE℠: ANDMORE, formerly International Market Centers, is an omnichannel wholesale marketmaker that fuels opportunities for wholesale buyers and sellers to connect, grow and prosper through physical markets, design centers and digital channels. The company owns and operates more than 20 million square feet of premium event and showroom space, hosting live events in Atlanta, High Point, N.C., Las Vegas and New York City. By pairing face-to-face events with always-on digital tools, ANDMORE provides truly omnichannel business platforms for its global wholesale customer base. ANDMORE.com
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Media Contacts
Cathy Steel, Atlanta Market, 203.340.9251 or cathysteel@cathysteelassociates.com
Morgan Ford, Atlanta Market, 412.877.0576. or mford@andmore.com