ITMA Announces New Dates For Showtime Fabric Market

Furniture World News

The International Textile Market Association (ITMA) announced that it will move its semiannual Showtime Fabric Market from July and January to June and December. The changes are being made to allow more time for the industry’s product development cycle. “The complexity of the furniture manufacturers’ product development cycle has grown exponentially over the last few years. Global sourcing has forced our customers to deal with many different supply chain issues at the same time. In order to pull it all together, they have to get started earlier,” said Jack Cobb, president of the ITMA and president of American Decorative Fabrics. The date changes will go into effect gradually this year to allow time for companies to adjust their manufacturing cycles. The summer 2005 show dates will remain as previously scheduled on July 10-13. In December, the new schedule cycle will begin with a show Dec. 11-14. Then, from 2006 on, Showtime will be held the first weeks of June and December. The dates for the next four shows are as follows: Summer 2005: July 10-13 (Date remains the same.) Winter 2005: Dec. 11-14 Summer 2006: June 4-7 Winter 2006: Dec. 3-6 The date changes follow time changes that were put into effect at the January 2005 show. All Showtime markets will now run Sunday from noon until 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Before making these changes, the ITMA surveyed their membership at Showtime this past January. “We decided to initiate the survey and see if we could quantify what appeared to be a general shift in the industry. We didn’t want to make the decision to move the show dates without having the input from our members and customers,” said Cobb. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of the changes. Seventy-seven percent of the survey participants voted to move the show dates. Fifty-five percent voted to move to June and December. “I’m thrilled with the changes,” said Jana Platina-Phipps, director of home furnishings for Gelberg Braid Company and owner of Home Couture Collective. “All my high-end customers wanted it earlier, and they are grateful to have more time for development. With such an influx of inexpensive product, they need the extra time to develop the custom products we provide. Plus, it gives us a real holiday. This year will literally be the first holiday I’ll be able to enjoy in eight years.” Founded in 1990, the ITMA is a non-profit trade association, consisting of mills, converters, tanneries and trimming manufacturers that supply decorative coverings for the home furnishings industry, whose main objective is to stimulate growth and development within the home furnishings industry. The ITMA is the producer of Showtime, the largest textile market in the United States. More than 3,500 participants representing more than 20 countries attend Showtime twice a year. For more information, call 336-885-6842 or visit www.itma-showtime.com.