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Las Vegas, NV

ANDMORE Dedicates Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas to Bob Maricich; City Creates Day in His Honor

Las Vegas, NV – March 20, 2025 – The impact of ANDMOREsm founding CEO and Chairman Bob Maricich on the community and the home furnishings, gift and apparel industries has been permanently recognized in Las Vegas. ANDMORE has officially dedicated the Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas to the visionary leader and the City of Las Vegas has proclaimed January 25, 2025 as “Robert (Bob) J. Maricich Day.”

“Bob Maricich is a remarkable leader with a tremendous community impact,” said Jon Pertchik, ANDMORE CEO. “When he stepped down from his role as CEO of ANDMORE last spring, the decision was quickly made that we needed a permanent way to recognize his legacy. The Expo represents the vision and passion that he has for our industry and the Downtown Las Vegas community.”

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Bob Maricich with plaque dedicating the Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas to him

ANDMORE celebrated the contributions of its former CEO Maricich at a private ceremony preceding the Winter 2025 Las Vegas Market. Many of the community leaders who were influential in the Expo project attended the event including Nevada Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony and leaders of the City of Las Vegas: Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, former Mayor Carolyn Goodman, former Mayor Oscar Goodman, former Councilman Cedric Crear and former Deputy Director, Economic and Urban Development Bill Arent.

Councilwoman Seaman read the official proclamation creating January 25, 2025 as “Robert (Bob) J. Maricich Day" on behalf of Mayor Shelley Berkley and the Las Vegas City Council. Pertchik unveiled a plaque affixed to the wall of the Expo highlighting Maricich’s work to bring the project to fruition. It reads:

In grateful recognition.

In 2011, with his trademark salesmanship, optimism and pioneer spirit, Bob secured funding and founded International Market Centers (IMC) bringing together competitive market centers in Las Vegas and High Point to form the world’s largest operator of premier permanent showroom and tradeshow space for the wholesale furnishings, home décor, and gift industries. In 2020, IMC constructed this state-of-the-art Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas, to accommodate the growing tradeshow component of its markets and address the need for exhibit and meeting space in downtown Las Vegas. Bob worked closely with longtime business associate and friend, then Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Councilman Cedric Crear, City Manager Scott Adams and Director, Economic and Urban Development Bill Arent to secure financing and approval for the project creating jobs for the fifth ward and driving economic development in downtown Las Vegas.

We honor and celebrate Bob Maricich for his many contributions to the City of Las Vegas, and to the home furnishings and gift industries, and we celebrate his unwavering commitment to building an exceptional company of enduring value.

Onward and Upward

(NOTE: proclamation and plaque text and photos from the ceremony are here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yeip96d4x77lghc1a81tt/AExu7PCOt67k6tp9Do9lJPA?rlkey=05so89cco9pb0sauu3yajeesl&st=3mmnatfj&dl=0).

The dedication of the Expo celebrates a highlight of Maricich’s long career. He keenly recognized that the City of Las Vegas needed an updated exhibition space to drive economic development and offer more opportunities for community gatherings. In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, with support from Blackstone and the City of Las Vegas, he led the opening of the facility. The Expo is projected to create hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact for the City of Las Vegas from visitor spending to salaries and wages. It has allowed ANDMORE to improve its buyer experience with a reimagined presentation of its Las Vegas Market with continuous flow between temporary exhibits and showrooms, and the launch of two new trade shows: Las Vegas Apparel and Formal Markets Las Vegas. The Las Vegas community has come together in the space for conventions, rodeos, performances, rallies and more.

The Expo is a 315,000 square foot exhibition space in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas. The purpose-built facility features sizable exhibit space (divisible into two halls that can accommodate up to 1,000 trade show booths), an expansive lobby and registration area, onsite shuttle bus depot, attached parking garage and permanent food service areas. It is the gateway to the World Market Center Las Vegas campus with a connection to Building C and access to the Courtyard.

For ANDMORE, the Expo next hosts the Las Vegas Market temporary exhibits July 27-30, 2025, and Las Vegas Apparel August 17-20, 2025. Before and after those events, multiple local, regional and national organizations also will present events and gatherings in the facility.

About ANDMORE℠: ANDMORE, a Blackstone portfolio company, empowers wholesale buyers and sellers to connect, grow and prosper through premier physical markets and design centers. The company operates over 20 million square feet of premium tradeshow and showroom space, hosting live events in Atlanta, High Point, N.C., Las Vegas and New York City. Serving industries such as home décor, gift, furniture and apparel, ANDMORE supports the global B2B community through its unmatched marketplace experiences. ANDMORE.com.

 

Press Contact: Chelsea Bohannon | cbohannon@andmore.com | 404-655-4663

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ATLANTA, GA – June 19, 2024 – Five "Market Pros" – leading industry designers and tastemakers – will share their favorite finds and market highlights in a series of social media takeovers during Atlanta Market, July 16-22, 2024, at AmericasMart Atlanta.

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ATLANTA, GA – January 17, 2024 - Building on the success of Winter 2023, the 2024 edition of Atlanta Market experienced the largest pre-show opening on record with robust appointment schedules reported by the market’s permanent showrooms even prior to the official opening day, Tuesday, January 16. Solid first-day attendance generated a positive buzz and unshakeable optimism for the seven-day buying event, running through Monday, January 22, 2024 at AmericasMart Atlanta. “On the heels of a strong January Market last year, we start 2024 with numbers that have far exceeded 2023’s opening,” said Bob Maricich, ANDMORE℠ CEO. “There is a general feeling of excitement and enthusiasm to open the year, and Atlanta Market is only just getting started.” Unusually cold temperatures throughout the southeast didn’t dissuade dedicated buyers from coming out in unparalleled numbers for pre-market, surpassing pre-COVID levels as the largest pre-show opening on record. By midday Tuesday, the official opening day for the Market’s 1,000+ permanent gift and home showrooms, attendance was already up nearly 6% year over year, with double digit gains from east coast attendees. Core gift and home categories also experienced year over year gains, forecasting historical success in the first hours of Market. The temporaries open Wednesday, which is historically the busiest day of market. “Our pre-market and first-day appointments are up considerably, and we are so excited for this January Market,” said Garry Schermann, Creative Co-Op SVP Sales. “We’re on trend for what feels like a record show, and we greatly appreciate ANDMORE’s support in the process.” Jenny Heinzen, VP Marketing, Currey & Company added, “We are looking forward to a successful winter Atlanta Market. With a full showroom revamp and lots of exciting new products, we are optimistic that our strong first day of sales will carry on through the week.” Atlanta Market’s 1,000+ showrooms are open through Monday, January 22, with more than 1,400 temporary exhibits open Wednesday, January 17 – Sunday, January 21. Market highlights, including the popular Market Kickoff Party, JURA Demonstration Kitchen, educational programming, resource tours and more continue throughout the week, as the Winter 2024 edition provides positivity and promise for another season of better buying. Atlanta Market is a dynamic and immersive wholesale sourcing destination housing the nation's largest product mix for gift complemented by a broad selection of home décor, furnishings, apparel and the nation’s largest outdoor living presentation. It features three buildings with 51 floors of showrooms and temporary exhibits with thousands of brands that attract retailers and designers from every U.S. state and more than 60 countries. For information, visit AtlantaMarket.com. About ANDMORE℠: ANDMORE, formerly International Market Centers, is an omnichannel wholesale marketmaker that fuels opportunities for wholesale buyers and sellers to connect, grow and prosper through physical markets, design centers and digital channels. The company owns and operates more than 20 million square feet of premium event and showroom space, hosting live events in Atlanta, High Point, N.C., Las Vegas and New York City. By pairing face-to-face events with always-on digital tools, ANDMORE provides truly omnichannel business platforms for its global wholesale customer base. ANDMORE.com.

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ATLANTA, GA – January 8, 2024 – “People’s Choice” voting is open now through January 15 for the Winter 2024 Atlanta Market edition of Market Snapshot, a dazzling showcase of 40 new and inventive products from its gift and home exhibitors. Buyers are invited to select their favorites via online voting at AtlantaMarket.com/MarketSnapshot, with winners to be announced on the opening day of Atlanta Market, January 16-22, 2024, at AmericasMart Atlanta.

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2025-02-21