How to Make the Most of Las Vegas Summer Market
Here’s what to pack for your trip — and how to spend your time once you get there
If you’re headed this month to Las Vegas Summer Market (July 28 to Aug. 1, 2019), making plans and being strategic about how you spend your time will be crucial. These tips from designers with extensive market experience will help you plan ahead, get organized, stay comfortable and make the most of your new contacts. And please continue this list by adding your own tips and insights to the Comments.
4. Schedule your time. “We go specifically to broaden our product knowledge and have fun. So we make sure to map out the few days we have with our list of must-see showrooms, schedule appointments with our reps well ahead of time, and then we build in time for relaxing, seeing new lines, wandering showrooms and enjoying a glass of wine,” Kaplan says.
Select the continuing education classes, lectures and other events you want to attend first, then schedule around those events any private appointments with showrooms you want to have. The Las Vegas Market website has a handy feature that lets you add each event you plan to attend to your calendar. Working with your map, chart a course that will let you efficiently hit all the vendors, events and classes you want to catch rather than your running from one end of the market to another and then back again.
5. Neaten up your digital presence. You’re going to be passing out your business card, so present your best digital self. Add new projects to your website and Houzz profile. Check all of your professional profiles online — make sure all the links work and that your bio and contact information are up to date.
6. Touch base with colleagues. One of the most fun things about the market is catching up with old friends and making new ones. Reach out to other designers you may know only through the internet to try to meet with them in person at a class, at an event or outside the market for a meal.
6. Make some fun plans for downtime. Check out local restaurants, attractions and, because it’s Vegas, shows you want to see. Carve out some time to do a handful of things outside of the market. You’ll likely need to make reservations or buy tickets ahead of time.
Select the continuing education classes, lectures and other events you want to attend first, then schedule around those events any private appointments with showrooms you want to have. The Las Vegas Market website has a handy feature that lets you add each event you plan to attend to your calendar. Working with your map, chart a course that will let you efficiently hit all the vendors, events and classes you want to catch rather than your running from one end of the market to another and then back again.
5. Neaten up your digital presence. You’re going to be passing out your business card, so present your best digital self. Add new projects to your website and Houzz profile. Check all of your professional profiles online — make sure all the links work and that your bio and contact information are up to date.
6. Touch base with colleagues. One of the most fun things about the market is catching up with old friends and making new ones. Reach out to other designers you may know only through the internet to try to meet with them in person at a class, at an event or outside the market for a meal.
6. Make some fun plans for downtime. Check out local restaurants, attractions and, because it’s Vegas, shows you want to see. Carve out some time to do a handful of things outside of the market. You’ll likely need to make reservations or buy tickets ahead of time.
What to Pack
Las Vegas Market means endless hours on your feet, shaking a lot of hands and wanting to keep a light load. Here are some of the essentials to carry with you.
1. Map of the market. Carry a good old-fashioned paper map or make sure you’ve got your market app set up and ready.
2. Phone and portable charger. You’ll be taking scads of photos and running down that phone battery quickly, so a portable charger will be a big asset.
3. Business cards. Networking is a big part of the market, so make sure you’re armed with plenty of business cards. Pop a bunch behind your market badge for easy access.
4. Comfortable shoes and clothes. “This isn’t the time to worry about impressing anyone — most people are in tennis shoes, jeans and a loose T-shirt or sweater with hair in a messy bun,” Kaplan says. If you feel that sneakers are a no-no, Alfin recommends stylish flat shoes with good foot support that can work with pants or a dress. Vegas in July also presents some dramatic climate changes between indoors and out. “Dress in layers. It will be hot outside, and most of the indoor spaces are highly air-conditioned and cold,” Stephens says.
5. An ergonomic bag. This is not the place to show off that large and stylish leather bag with lots of heavy hardware. “A roomy tote bag that goes on your shoulder is always a good bet,” Alfin says. Or try a light nylon cross-body messenger bag to save your neck and shoulders.
6. Grab-and-go snacks. Keep your energy up with protein bars and fruit. And you’ll need to be vigilant about staying hydrated, so carry a refillable water bottle.
7. Wipes or hand sanitizer. You’ll want to stay healthy while you’re there, so keep those hands clean. Sometimes the restroom is far away from where you’ll be grabbing a snack — hand sanitizer will cut out the hand-washing trip.
8. Lip balm. The environment can be dry. Keep your lips moisturized.
Las Vegas Market means endless hours on your feet, shaking a lot of hands and wanting to keep a light load. Here are some of the essentials to carry with you.
1. Map of the market. Carry a good old-fashioned paper map or make sure you’ve got your market app set up and ready.
2. Phone and portable charger. You’ll be taking scads of photos and running down that phone battery quickly, so a portable charger will be a big asset.
3. Business cards. Networking is a big part of the market, so make sure you’re armed with plenty of business cards. Pop a bunch behind your market badge for easy access.
4. Comfortable shoes and clothes. “This isn’t the time to worry about impressing anyone — most people are in tennis shoes, jeans and a loose T-shirt or sweater with hair in a messy bun,” Kaplan says. If you feel that sneakers are a no-no, Alfin recommends stylish flat shoes with good foot support that can work with pants or a dress. Vegas in July also presents some dramatic climate changes between indoors and out. “Dress in layers. It will be hot outside, and most of the indoor spaces are highly air-conditioned and cold,” Stephens says.
5. An ergonomic bag. This is not the place to show off that large and stylish leather bag with lots of heavy hardware. “A roomy tote bag that goes on your shoulder is always a good bet,” Alfin says. Or try a light nylon cross-body messenger bag to save your neck and shoulders.
6. Grab-and-go snacks. Keep your energy up with protein bars and fruit. And you’ll need to be vigilant about staying hydrated, so carry a refillable water bottle.
7. Wipes or hand sanitizer. You’ll want to stay healthy while you’re there, so keep those hands clean. Sometimes the restroom is far away from where you’ll be grabbing a snack — hand sanitizer will cut out the hand-washing trip.
8. Lip balm. The environment can be dry. Keep your lips moisturized.
How to Stay Organized
If you’re not organized, you’ll wind up schlepping a bunch of heavy brochures and catalogs and have random business cards floating all over the place. And after you get home, you may wind up with photos of mystery furnishings because you didn’t snap pictures of the sources.
1. Skip the paper. You’ll want to save your shoulders by keeping your bag as light as possible, and you’ll save trees by doing so. Instead of collecting brochures and cards, take photos of contact information. “For vendors that really interest me, I enter their information into my contact list. It’s actually a great thing to do while you’re in your hotel room in the evenings,” Alfin says. “If I don’t have an account established, I visit their trade web pages and open an account.”
2. Credit your photos. Never believe that you’ll remember where you saw that sexy sofa or fantastic piece of art. After 10 hours of running around the market, everything will start to run together. After you photograph something, immediately follow it up with a photo of the tag or sign that has the name of the piece and the vendor.
If you’re not organized, you’ll wind up schlepping a bunch of heavy brochures and catalogs and have random business cards floating all over the place. And after you get home, you may wind up with photos of mystery furnishings because you didn’t snap pictures of the sources.
1. Skip the paper. You’ll want to save your shoulders by keeping your bag as light as possible, and you’ll save trees by doing so. Instead of collecting brochures and cards, take photos of contact information. “For vendors that really interest me, I enter their information into my contact list. It’s actually a great thing to do while you’re in your hotel room in the evenings,” Alfin says. “If I don’t have an account established, I visit their trade web pages and open an account.”
2. Credit your photos. Never believe that you’ll remember where you saw that sexy sofa or fantastic piece of art. After 10 hours of running around the market, everything will start to run together. After you photograph something, immediately follow it up with a photo of the tag or sign that has the name of the piece and the vendor.
3. Sign up with vendors that are a good match for your business. “Many vendors are set up to stock retail showrooms, not independent designers, so it’s important to ask about purchase minimums or changes in discount levels based on volume,” Alfin says. “And I try not to set up accounts with vendors who already have a presence at my local design center, because it behooves me and my clients to keep those folks in business. So I often ask if they are already being repped by my local showroom. If not, then I open a direct relationship.”
How to Spend Your Downtime
1. Take some time away from the market. The scene can be overwhelming at times. Stephens recommends breaking up the days with a good lunch break. “Get outside during the day for a lunch break. There will be lots of food trucks parked nearby,” she says.
2. Tend to aches and pains. The event is exhilarating and exhausting. The biggest thing you’ll want to take care of is your aching feet. Give them a good soaking back in the room. Better yet, find a reflexology spa and get a foot massage.
3. Recharge your brain. While you will need to spend some time mapping out your next day, organizing your contacts and photos, carve out some hotel room time to take a break from all of that. Put on your robe and dive into a good book, flip through a glossy magazine, visit your favorite websites, listen to a podcast, watch some trashy TV, take a 20-minute power nap or meditate — whatever works best to recharge your brain.
4. Get organized. Take notes on everything you want to remember from the day, such as that new go-to source for lighting you found or the dining table that’s perfect for a current project. Plug in those contacts, check out those vendor websites, enter your continuing education units, edit and organize your photos (delete the duds) and post your favorite photos to your blog.
1. Take some time away from the market. The scene can be overwhelming at times. Stephens recommends breaking up the days with a good lunch break. “Get outside during the day for a lunch break. There will be lots of food trucks parked nearby,” she says.
2. Tend to aches and pains. The event is exhilarating and exhausting. The biggest thing you’ll want to take care of is your aching feet. Give them a good soaking back in the room. Better yet, find a reflexology spa and get a foot massage.
3. Recharge your brain. While you will need to spend some time mapping out your next day, organizing your contacts and photos, carve out some hotel room time to take a break from all of that. Put on your robe and dive into a good book, flip through a glossy magazine, visit your favorite websites, listen to a podcast, watch some trashy TV, take a 20-minute power nap or meditate — whatever works best to recharge your brain.
4. Get organized. Take notes on everything you want to remember from the day, such as that new go-to source for lighting you found or the dining table that’s perfect for a current project. Plug in those contacts, check out those vendor websites, enter your continuing education units, edit and organize your photos (delete the duds) and post your favorite photos to your blog.
Interior designer Tracey Stephens meets a couple of locals during Las Vegas Market.
5. Have some fun. Pick and choose from all of the fun market events, hit that famous restaurant you’ve always wanted to try or catch a Janet Jackson or Cirque du Soleil show. “I try to take advantage of some of the music or spectacles at least one of the evenings while I’m there, depending on the length of my stay,” Alfin says.
Perhaps tack on an extra day to do uniquely Vegas activities — hitch a gondola ride through fake Venice, check out the gorgeous Dale Chihuly glass sculpture at the Bellagio, take some shots at the Neon Museum, visit Hoover Dam or have a recovery day by the pool or in the spa. You’ll have earned it.
5. Have some fun. Pick and choose from all of the fun market events, hit that famous restaurant you’ve always wanted to try or catch a Janet Jackson or Cirque du Soleil show. “I try to take advantage of some of the music or spectacles at least one of the evenings while I’m there, depending on the length of my stay,” Alfin says.
Perhaps tack on an extra day to do uniquely Vegas activities — hitch a gondola ride through fake Venice, check out the gorgeous Dale Chihuly glass sculpture at the Bellagio, take some shots at the Neon Museum, visit Hoover Dam or have a recovery day by the pool or in the spa. You’ll have earned it.
Photo by daryl_mitchell
Share: Please add your own tips and advice in the Comments. And may your market trip be an inspiring and fruitful one.
More for pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
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Share: Please add your own tips and advice in the Comments. And may your market trip be an inspiring and fruitful one.
More for pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Las Vegas Summer Market is physically huge. You’ll want to put together a game plan ahead of time so you can be as efficient as possible.
1. Set your goals. Interior designer Kirsten Kaplan recommends determining your market priorities first. “Do you want to network with manufacturers to open new accounts? See new things and be creatively inspired? Gather details about how the pieces you already sell are manufactured so you can inform clients? Laugh and relax for a few days with friends at free parties with delicious food and drink? Everything depends on the goals,” she says.
Other goals may be attending continuing-education sessions or sourcing specific items for clients. Write down what you want to get out of this market before you begin exploring it.
2. Explore the market website and download the market app on your phone. “I find that the conference website is really helpful, and their phone apps will help you keep track of the event schedule, shuttle bus routes, exhibitors and continuing education classes,” interior designer Sabrina Alfin says.
3. Plot your course. To make the most of your time, interior designer Tracey Stephens recommends booking a hotel that’s either within walking distance or a short rail line trip from the convention center for convenience. Familiarize yourself with the map and take notes on all of the vendors you want to visit. Also note where classes and events you want to attend will be.