Thousands flock to World Market Center

Kevin Rademacher

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 | 11:01 a.m.

On the first day of the World Market Center's inaugural Las Vegas market, it wasn't the new, 10-story building or the massive copper waterfall in the lobby that caught attendees' eyes first.

It was the crowd of 53,000 on Monday that really made an impression.

"It's real busy, very well attended," said Barry Snyder, a furniture buyer from Chicago representing Wickes Furniture Co. "It's far bigger than I thought it would be."

DeeDee Sisson, who owns a furniture store in Alice, Texas, had a similar response.

"Lots of people. Lots of excitement," she said.

The crowds had a few complaints about infrequent shuttle buses delivering attendees to and from local hotels and traffic at the downtown complex, but most said the opening-day issues were understandable.

"It think it's been very nice, good work," said Dennis Meehan, who owns Denny's Furniture in Tacoma, Wash. "There's been a little bit of chaos, but that's understandable."

Despite glitches, attendees praised the availability of hotel rooms and affordable air fare for the Las Vegas market.

"Las Vegas is used to big shows," Snyder said.

Shelley Harrington, an interior designer from Blackfoot, Idaho, said the Las Vegas show, at this point, remains much smaller than the industry-leading event in High Point, N.C. It is, however, more comprehensive than the long-running market in San Francisco.

"It's definitely smaller than High Point," she said. "But it's more complete than San Francisco. We've needed this out West."

For show organizers, the first day was deemed a success.

"We're very excited," said Dana Pretner, a spokeswoman for the World Market Center.

Shawn Samson, one of the co-founders of the World Market Center, told media representatives gathered Monday evening that the plans to build seven additional buildings have been accelerated. He said that the current timeline will have the project finished in seven years. Original plans did not have the World Market Center reaching its full 12 million square feet until 2015.

Samson said he did not sleep for two days leading up to Monday's opening. He added that speeding up plans for the market's additional buildings probably won't help him rest anytime soon.

"With nearly 12 million square feet to build, why sleep?" he said.

The market is not open to the public, drawing retailers and interior designers to buy directly from manufacturers and wholesalers.

Samson, along with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, also touted the World Market Center's relationship with the long-awaited plans for the city's redevelopment of 61 vacant acres across from the furniture market. Samson pointed to the possible construction of a hotel on the city's 61 acres that could eventually service the market.

Goodman welcomed the relationship.

"This (market) is on 56 acres," he said. "Along with our 61 acres, we now have to think of this in terms of 117 acres. ... This is a symbiotic relationship. This is a huge day for us."

Goodman described the attention surrounding the opening of the market as a "defining moment" for a city once seen as little more than a gaming destination.

"You don't get too many of these," he said. "The city has been changed today. ... We have diversified our economy overnight."

Kara Kelley, president of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, also surveyed the World Market Center on its first day and was quick to point to the potential for the market to alter the local business environment.

"I think it's just another feather in our cap as far as our effort to create a really diverse economy," she said. "There's going to be enormous economic impact that's going to be derived from those thousands of visitors, and it puts us on the map for a new set of folks as a destination."

Kelley also pointed out that as more and more furniture industry executives become familiar with Las Vegas while attending two markets a year at the World Market Center, it creates an opportunity to recruit those businesses as permanent residents.

"This allows us to showcase what a great, great place this is to do business," she said.