World Market Center Las Vegas, the industry’s fastest-growing home furnishings event announced that it welcomed The Center for U.S. Global Engagement and its state partner, the Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations as they launched the campaign Impact ’08 in Nevada: Building a Better, Safer World.

Dave Palmer, general manager for World Market Center, officially welcomed the bipartisan group of nearly 400 Nevada business, civic, political and academic leaders. The distinguished group has joined a growing national campaign to urge all of the presidential candidates to strengthen and elevate America’s non-military tools for global engagement.

This notable group of leaders support enlisting the Presidential candidates to seek out a new path of American global leadership; one in which diplomacy and development assistance play a proven, vital role in promoting America’s security, health, economic prosperity, and moral leadership.

“This is an honor and we are truly pleased with the distinction of being host to this enormously important event,” said Palmer. “This is a great example of World Market Center being involved within our community as well as the industries we serve.”

An impressive number of bi-partisan Nevada leaders joined the host committee to launch the campaign; including Governor Jim Gibbons, Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, Senator Harry Reid, President of the University of Nevada, Reno Milton D. Glick, President Emerita of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Dr. Carol Harter, President of the Nevada World Trade Council Dr. Yvonne Stedman, Nevada State Assembly Member Hon. Ruben Kihuen, President and COO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, William P. Weidner and Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn.

The Honorable Tom Ridge, Governor of Pennsylvania (1995-2000) and Secretary of Homeland Security (2003-2005) presented his views on foreign policy and national security challenges facing the next President and the importance of strengthening America’s non-military tools of global development and diplomacy.

“With our nation’s security and our economy at stake, the next President must not only strengthen our military capabilities, but also our non-military capacity to address global political, economic, and humanitarian challenges,” said Gov. Ridge.

About World Market Center: World Market Center is an integrated home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom and trade complex in Las Vegas. When fully built, at 12 million square feet in 8 buildings, World Market Center will be the largest trade show complex in the world. The $3 billion, state-of-the-art campus will showcase furniture, decorative accessories, lighting, area rugs, home textiles and related segments, as well as the Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC) open year-round to the trade. World Market Center produces the semi-annual Las Vegas Market, held every January and July, and is the fastest growing home furnishings trade show in the world. World Market Center is now leasing the third building to a broad cross-section of the home furnishings industry.

The Winter 2008 Las Vegas Market is scheduled for January 28 to February 1, 2008 at World Market Center’s Buildings A, B and Pavilions and tradeshow at the MGM Grand Hotel. For more information about World Market Center, and to find out about leasing or exhibiting opportunities, visit the website at www.LasVegasMarket.Com or call 888-WMC-SHOW (962-7469).

About The Center for U.S. Global Engagement: The Center for U.S. Global Engagement unites business, civic, military, faith-based and political leaders in Nevada and around the country in support of greater investments in development and diplomacy to strengthen America’s role in the world. The Nevada Committee on Foreign Relations was established in 2001 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public dialogue on foreign relations. World Market Center is set to be the largest and most comprehensive home and hospitality furnishings complex in the world.