The new awards program supplements the ongoing partnership Las Vegas Market has with the Sustainable Furnishings Council to create “One Good World,” a guide to sustainable furniture and home décor products to help connect legitimate suppliers and retailers in this new era of sustainability and accountability.
“Las Vegas Market recognizes and celebrates the gift and home industry’s efforts to do well by doing good, and our Global Goodness initiative promotes good corporate citizenship by recognizing exhibiting suppliers who offer artisanal, sustainable, eco-friendly and fair trade products that help improve the lives of people all over the world,” said Dorothy Belshaw, president, Gift & Home Décor, International Market Centers. “As the leading home furnishings and gift destination in the western United States, Las Vegas Market is taking proactive steps to respect the environment and create a better future.”
The Las Vegas Market is experiencing a large influx of gift and home décor exhibitors offering fair trade and sustainable products and has added two related product categories, which highlight these companies, in Building C: MADE on C5 features handcrafted, artisanal products including handmade ceramics, pottery, home décor, letterpress, apparel and jewelry. GLOBAL on C11 presents unique products from around the world with an emphasis on fairly traded products, social responsibility and global community development.
The three inaugural Global Goodness honorees, the Bridgewater Candle Co., Kismet Designs and SEAsTra, have demonstrated sustainable and socially responsible practices into their businesses and manufacturing processes. Bridgewater Candle Co. partners with Rice Bowls, a non-profit organization whose mission is to feed and nurture orphaned children worldwide. Bridgewater donates 75 cents from every jar candle sold to Rice Bowls to feed an orphaned child for a day through its “Light a Candle Feed a Child” program.
Similarly, Kismet Designs has been working directly with artisans in rural India since 1999, using sustainable local resources and recycled vintage materials in its beautiful handmade products. SEAsTra promotes increased economic stability and sustainability, working with primarily rural, artisan groups in Thailand, creating hand-woven silk and cotton scarves and shawls; repurposed, hand embroidered Hill Tribe fabric handbags; handcrafted jewelry; and legacy fabric shoes and boots.
“Las Vegas Market also is demonstrating its commitment to environmental responsibility in its own operations,” said Belshaw. “This includes recycling packing material and using environmentally friendly products whenever possible – from water bottles, paper and plastic materials that contain a higher level of recyclable material to eco-friendly vases for floral designs.”
The Summer 2013 Las Vegas Market runs from July 29 to Aug. 2 at the World Market Center Las Vegas.
