IMC and Gift For Life Launch “Come Together” Fundraiser
Initiative Bridging IMC’s Physical and Digital Markets Benefits World Central Kitchen
Atlanta / Las Vegas – International Market Centers (IMC) and Gift For Life are joining forces to raise funds for crisis-related hunger relief through a new fundraiser “Come Together” running June 1- August 1, 2022. The initiative, which bridges IMC’s digital and physical markets – JuniperMarket, Atlanta Market and Las Vegas Market – benefits World Central Kitchen’s efforts to provide fresh meals to displaced Ukrainian families.
“As the crisis in Ukraine escalates and as the need for food resilience programs is felt worldwide, we encourage the industry to come together to support the valuable work of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen,” said IMC CEO Bob Maricich. “By placing orders with participating gift and home furnishings brands – online and in person – buyers and sellers can make a difference for communities in need.”
Beginning June 1, IMC’s summer market giving event will raise funds in three ways: JuniperMarket will donate $5 per order (up to $5,000) through August 1; IMC’s Markets in Atlanta and Las Vegas will match donations (up to $5,000); and participating vendors will donate a portion of proceeds from at-market sales (a full list of participating vendors will be available soon and vendors interested in participating can email [email protected] for information). Direct donations also will be accepted online via https://donate.wck.org/fundraiser/3931045. A fundraising goal of at least $25,000 is set for this program.
All “Come Together” fundraising will be directed to World Central Kitchen’s (WCK) #ChefsForUkraine program which has served more than 27 million meals across eight countries since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Through the program, WCK is bringing hundreds of thousands of daily meals and 12 million pounds of food to over 3,000 distribution sites across Ukraine to provide fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as people remaining in the country. Working at a 24-hour pedestrian border crossing in southern Poland, WCK began serving hot, nourishing meals within hours of the initial invasion, and now is serving round-the-clock dishes at eight border crossings across the country. Additionally, WCK is supporting local restaurants preparing meals in cities across Ukraine including in Odessa, Lviv, and Kyiv. WCK teams are also on the ground serving thousands of meals every day in Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain and Germany.
Donors Eligible to Win Hotel & Dining Prizes for Markets in Atlanta & Las Vegas
To incentivize order-writing on JuniperMarket, as well as individual contributions, IMC will award Atlanta Market and Las Vegas Market hotel and dining prizes to donors.
From June 1 through June 15, buyers and sellers can qualify to win by either donating online at https://donate.wck.org/fundraiser/3931045, or placing JuniperMarket orders. Winners, which will be randomly selected from all eligible participants, will receive one of seven prizes connected with the summer 2022 markets:
· Atlanta Market (July 12-18, 2022 at AmericasMart Atlanta)
o Hotel Indigo – two-night accommodations and breakfast for two
o Hyatt Regency – two-night accommodations and breakfast for two
o Westin Peachtree Plaza – two-night accommodations and breakfast for two
o Marriott Marquis – two-night accommodations and breakfast for two
· Las Vegas Market (July 24-28, 2022 at World Market Center Las Vegas)
o $150 dining credit at Oscar’s Steakhouse at the Plaza Hotel
o $200 Dining credit at Bazaar Meat by Jose’ Andres at the Sahara Hotel
o Two complimentary tickets to either a Gordie Brown Show or a 52 Fridays show at the Golden Nugget Showroom, plus $100 Dining credit for the Salt Grass Steakhouse
From June 15 through August 1, buyers and suppliers donating directly at https://donate.wck.org/fundraiser/3931045, or placing orders on JuniperMarket will be eligible to win hotel and dining prizes for IMC’s winter 2023 markets. Seven winners will be randomly selected from all eligible donors to receive one of the following prizes:
· Atlanta Market (January 10-16, 2023 at AmericasMart Atlanta)
o Hotel Indigo – two-night accommodations and breakfast for two
o Hyatt Regency – two-night accommodations and breakfast for two
o Westin Peachtree Plaza – two-night accommodations and breakfast for two
o Marriott Marquis – two-night accommodations and breakfast for two
· Las Vegas Market (January 29 – February 2, 2023 at World Market Center Las Vegas), prizes are:
o $150 dining credit at Oscar’s Steakhouse at the Plaza Hotel
o $200 Dining credit at Bazaar Meat by Jose’ Andres at the Sahara Hotel
o Two complimentary tickets to either a Gordie Brown Show or a 52 Fridays show at the Golden Nugget Showroom, plus $100 Dining credit for the Salt Grass Steakhouse
Las Vegas Market’s direct connection to Ukrainian Relief Recipients
While it may seem that World Central Kitchen’s Ukrainian efforts are far away, the global nature of the gift, home décor and furniture industry means that some of those impacted are participants in IMC’s community of brands.
Seven Ukrainian furniture manufacturers will be featured in a special showcase, The Ukrainian Pavilion, within the B2 Furniture Temporary Exhibits at Las Vegas Market this summer. In Summer 2022, the Ukrainian Pavilion will present chairs, tables and sofas as well as bedroom and living room furniture.
Tivoli sales manager Alla Lisovskaya, who has organized the Ukrainian Pavilion at Las Vegas Market since 2018, shared her experience meeting World Central Kitchen chefs feeding Ukrainian refugees at the Polish border while she was transporting furniture for shipment to Las Vegas Market. “The world is small. By chance, I met two World Central Kitchen chefs, from Washington DC and San Francisco, in the Lviv region of Ukraine, where our factory is located. It was amazing to meet people in our small city who are connected to the same organization that Las Vegas Market fundraising will benefit.”
IMC’s Maricich added, “Having a direct connection to people in Ukraine who are receiving aid from World Central Kitchen is humbling. We are proud to raise funds to support the communities of the exhibitors who are coming from Ukraine to Las Vegas Market, and are pleased that ‘Come Together’ donations are benefitting workers and their families who are part of our global industry. These exhibitors and their communities are in our constant thoughts and we look forward to connecting with them at Las Vegas Market.”
Las Vegas Market is the leading home furnishings and gift market in the western U.S., presenting thousands of furniture, home décor and gift resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market’s diverse product offerings allow for cross-category commerce among these industries. The next Las Vegas Market runs July 24-28, at World Market Center Las Vegas. Registration is open now at LasVegasMarket.com.
Atlanta Market is the industry’s premier gift, décor and lifestyle market. Housing the nation’s largest gift product mix complemented by a broad selection of home décor, it features more than 8,000 brands across all categories. Held semi-annually at AmericasMart Atlanta, Atlanta Market attracts retailers and designers from every U.S. state and more than 60 countries. Registration for the July 12-18, 2022 Atlanta Market is open now at AtlantaMarket.com.
About World Central Kitchen: Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. WCK has served more than 70 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world. WCK’s Resilience Programs strengthen food and nutrition security by training chefs and school cooks; advancing clean cooking practices; and awarding grants to farms, fisheries, and small food businesses while also providing educational and networking opportunities. Learn more at wck.org.
About Gift For Life: Gift for Life was founded by Peter Schauben of Appleman Schauben in 1992 in response to the tragic loss of industry lives to AIDS. The organization’s first meeting at the National Stationery Show brought together a cross-section of the industry’s leading publishers, market centers, sales reps, manufacturers and retailers – all willing to convene and work together towards a common goal. Since that time, Gift for Life has raised nearly $6 million for AIDS research, education, treatment and care through nationwide at-market events, cause marketing programs and direct donations. With COVID-19 temporarily causing cancelation of in-person events at industry markets, Gift for Life pivoted towards online digital events with a specific emphasis on COVID-related hunger relief. As Gift for Life celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2022, the all-volunteer organization will continue to support programs that address hunger relief. More information is available at www.facebook.com/GiftForLife.
About Juniper: Juniper is a fully integrated omnichannel B2B commerce solution and multi-line B2B e-commerce marketplace, empowering buyers and sellers to better manage and grow their business at markets and year-round. Juniper offers a sales automation and commerce platform (JuniperCommerce) combined with a new multi-line B2B ecommerce marketplace (JuniperMarket) that together empower sales teams, streamline product data management and deliver real-time visibility across channels – driving business efficiency and growth for buyers and sellers. Juniper is powered by International Market Centers (IMC), the world’s largest owner and operator of premier wholesale showroom space for the furniture, home décor, gift and apparel industries with more than 60 years of relationships and experience creating scalable business platforms for wholesale commerce. For more information, visit www.JuniperCommerce.com.
About International Market Centers: International Market Centers (IMC) serves as the center of commerce for the wholesale furniture, gift, home decor and apparel industries. With more than 20 million square feet of premium wholesale showroom space in High Point, N.C., Las Vegas and Atlanta, IMC has more than 60 years of relationships and experience creating scalable business platforms for wholesale commerce. With the launch of Juniper, a fully integrated omnichannel B2B commerce solution and multiline B2B e-commerce marketplace empowering buyers and sellers to better manage and grow their business at markets and year-round, IMC now provides the only omnichannel sales and marketing platform that seamlessly connects physical and digital wholesale commerce. www.imcenters.com.
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Media Contacts:
Cathy Steel
203.340.9251
Chelsea Bohannon
404.220.2141
