Las Vegas Market's Alfresco Spaces to feature outdoor furnishings

Timely focus will help meet global demand for booming category

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 7/28/2010 8:03:00 AM

LAS VEGAS — Set against the backdrop of the world's greatest hospitality and resort destination, World Market Center Las Vegas is driving the convergence of cutting-edge innovations and design in the outdoor furnishings segment in its latest iteration of Alfresco Spaces, a platform for premium casual outdoor furnishings, at the upcoming August Las Vegas Market, Aug. 2-6.

The expanded temporary destination, located on the second floor of Building B, is dedicated to up-market, design-driven casual furniture manufacturers including Ancient Mosaic Studios, Brown Jordan, Century Leisure, Dedon, Harbour Outdoor, John Kelly, Kannoa, Lloyd/Flanders, Saccaro by Accents By Design, Somers Furniture, TUUCI and Veneman Furniture - many of whom are showing at Las Vegas Market for the first time.

The Alfresco Spaces temporary showcase occurs during an opportune time for buyers. According to the results of Casual Living's 2009 Universe Study of the outdoor home furnishings industry, more than 79% of consumers surveyed reported they would like to design a home resort. Concurrently, the Freedonia Group Inc., a research firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, reported recently that demand in the U.S. for outdoor furniture is projected to increase 3.9% each year to $7.2 billion in 2013.

"A greater appreciation for the outdoors and the desire to make better use of outdoor spaces has created a boom for this segment. The trend is to emphasize design in outdoor spaces as much as indoor spaces," said Tim Branscome, vice president of international for World Market Center Las Vegas. "As industry leaders and forward-thinking marketers, World Market Center made sure this segment was significantly highlighted during its August show."

As a complement to the indoor destination and a way to realize the potential outdoor spaces have to be completely transformed, attendees will be treated to a visually stunning outdoor display featuring some of the finest products

that celebrate the indoor-outdoor living movement. Designed by Friedmutter Group Architecture & Interior Design Studios, World Market Center Las Vegas' Grand Plaza will transform into a resort-like environment including an

imagined swimming pool, resort-style cabanas and a series of tiered daises featuring vignettes from some of the most prominent, outdoor furniture manufacturers from the United States and around the world.

"With Alfresco, we are creating a home for the premium segment of the casual furnishings industry - a runway of sorts for fashion-forward manufacturers from all over the world to launch their new collections," said Randy Wells,

vice president of Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center. "We continue to see the threshold separating indoor and outdoor vanish, and we believe there is no better place for the industry's best and brightest to

introduce their product to the world than here during Las Vegas Market."

Aside from the physical components of the Grand Plaza display, the design will turn the classic "red carpet" welcome into a grand-scale "green carpet," reflecting today's cultural merger of indoor/outdoor living, environmental

awareness and Hollywood glamour. The central area will be enhanced with luxurious amenities for attendees such as comfortable seating, shade and refreshments.

"Hospitality design inspires residential design and with our experience in creating these lavish, inviting environments for many casino resorts, we are excited to be partnering with World Market Center Las Vegas to show the mirrored trends between resorts and residential," said Ellie Hirshfeld, vice president of business development for Friedmutter Group. "This creation for the attendees of Las Vegas Market is a wonderful way to bring the design

communities of Las Vegas and home furnishings together."