The 61st-annual summer staging of The Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market® promises new introductions, new product collections and presentations, and industry-leading programming featuring celebrated tastemakers, business visionaries, and innovators across its newly-timed seven-day run, July 10-16, 2018.
1. AmericasMart LIVE Returns
The spectacular Main Stage in AmericasMart Building 3 is the epicenter of thoughtleadership during the Market. Headlined this year by lifestyle legend Martha Stewart, business mogul Bethenny Frankel, and multi-hyphenate Trisha Yearwood, AmericasMart LIVE will deliver a rare opportunity for Marketgoers to be inspired by stories and strategies from a trifecta of forces in entertainment, design, and business.
2. Savor the South
The Fiesta Dinnerware Demonstration Kitchen in Building 2, Floor 8 will celebrate the diverse flavors of the South with the “Savor the South” series presented by Atlanta magazine. Catch James Beard, award-winning Chef Steven Satterfield of Miller Union, Local Three’s Chef Chris Hall, Chef Meg Brent of White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails, Chef Nick Leahy of AIX, Chef Ian Winslade of Mission + Market, Gigi Butler of Gigi’s Cupcakes, and Dr. Seung Hee Lee, food influencer and cookbook author of “Everyday Korean.”
3. ICON HONORS
The industry’s most anticipated and important night—2018 ICON HONORS—now takes place as part of AmericasMart LIVE. In an exclusive presentation, Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and founder and CEO of Thrive Global, will imprint a new mark of contemporary cultural thought leadership upon ICON HONORS, which from its founding has championed the role of independent businesses in the global economy.
4. Shop the Show
“Shop the Show” is an all-new program where retailers, designers and home décor lovers near and far can see curated shopping adventures through the eyes of leading lifestyle influencers. Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin of The Home Edit, Orlando Soria of Hommemaker, Chris and Julia Marcum of Chris Loves Julia, and Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House that Lars Built will descend on AmericasMart during the Market week to document their favorite finds, experiences, events, and more. Buyers, exhibitors, and design fanatics can follow their adventure on social media with the hashtag #ShoptheShowATL.
5. Museum Collective
The Museum Store Association and AmericasMart are bringing the nonprofit retail community an unmatched wholesale buying experience with The Museum Collective. This all-new curated merchandise collection will make its debut at Market. Custom-designed to serve the refined merchandising requirements of museum stores, zoos, aquariums, catalogues, online sellers, and other specialty retail enterprises, The Museum Collective presents a curated selection of quality gifts, décor, collectibles, and private label products.
6. Design Seminars
A must-see coterie of globally-celebrated design talent will grace the Main Stage for AmericasMart LIVE. Cam Wolf, style features writer at GQ magazine, will moderate a panel discussion of ultimate home décor and fashion trends for the style-savvy man. Panelists 
include Jeremiah Brent, TV host and interior designer; Justin Williams, photo stylist, designer, and lifestyle specialist; and Sid Mashburn, CEO and designer at Mashburn, LLC. Lifestyle gurus and authors India Hicks and Nathan Turner will also share advice on tapping into creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit in a discussion moderated by Brittany Chevalier McIntyre of Luxe Interiors + Design. Dennis Scully, contributing editor of sponsor Business of Home by Editor At Large, will lead a lively panel discussion with the Shop the Show influencers. Tom Mirabile, SVP of Global Trend and Design for Lifetime Brands, will share “Top Trends 2018: Survival and Success in the Retail Renaissance.”
7. Let’s Do Lunch
“Let’s Do Lunch: A Home, Gift and Design Series with Progressive Business Media” is a new business-building Lunch & Learn series presented by Progressive Business Media. Topics include “Top Tactics for Building a Loyal Social Media Following,” “Stargazing: Retail’s Best & Brightest,” “Exploring Retailer and Consumer Gift & Home Trends in 2018” and “Straight Talk from the Editors: Navigate the World of DIY PR Like a Superstar.”
8. Parties
Everyone knows one of the best parts of Market is the parties. Celebrate throughout the Market at the Made to Merlot Party, Shop the Show Soirée, and the To The Nines Party.
9. New Temporaries
New buying experiences in the temporary collections, which run on a new Wednesday to Sunday schedule, include a consolidated home décor temporary collection in Building 1 with DÉCOR | Light & Lifestyles, joining the Home Accents & Home Furnishings and Fine Linens and Home Textiles collections on Building 1, Floor 7. A reimagined Emerging Artists Collection and a new Body and Soul LUXE collection highlight Building 3.
10. Lounges
Buyers will find enhanced relaxation spaces in the Simply Southern Lounge in Building 2, Floor 6; the DEMDACO Crossroads in Building 2, Floor 6; Creative Commons in Building 2, Floor 10; The Wellness & Rejuvenation Lounge in Building 2, Floor 12; and the Headshot & Glam Studio in Building 1, Floor 7.
