ABC Expo: new areas, new products lure retailers

By Lisa Casinger and Tanya Merritte -- Kids Today, 10/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

The ABC Kids Expo held in Las Vegas last month not only offered new products and a plethora of vendors but also a few new venues.

The show launched its Modern Child and Tabletop areas. Modern Child is a group of about 45 like-minded manufacturers like Skip Hop, Nurseryworks, Nest and Boon that offer products such as strollers, furniture and bedding based on modern aesthetics. The area was designated by different colored carpeting and signage that read "modern child, companies for a modern lifestyle."

"I think it's really nice to have everything all together," said Sheri Gurock, owner of Massachusetts-based retailer Magic Beans.

Gurock said the modern area was helpful in tracking trends and ensuring retailers don't duplicate product and it was interesting to see.

The Tabletop area featured about 28 vendors. Products ranged from night lights and organizers to diaper rash remedies and more. The idea for the area was prompted by requests from exhibitors that had either one item or a small product line as a way to try out their product and the show.

ABC boasted more than 100 first-time exhibitors and Larry Schur, president and chief operating officer of the show, said there still were 250 exhibitors on the waiting list.

During the Town Hall meeting on Tuesday of the show, attendees were invited to express their opinions on how the event went. Topics included better signage, extending the show an extra day, having one late night where booths would stay open until 8 p.m., a better system for registration that would prevent the long lines and the possibility of moving to one all-inclusive industry trade show.

Schur said some issues will be resolved, like mailing badges ahead of time to those who pre-register, putting booth numbers on the carpet in front of the spaces, and placing floor maps in strategic locations such as next to concessions and restrooms.

Michael Schaffer, chairman of the board for ABC Kids Expo and president of Creations, acknowledged there have been conversations about one trade show, a suggestion that's been raised before, and he said though "one show would be best, we still need the JPMA organization" in the industry.

There was no shortage of introductions at ABC, especially when it came to infant bedding. Atlantic, Kaloo and Creations debuted cribs and Ragazzi (now owned by Stork Craft) brought new looks as well. Seemingly everyone had a modern version to show, confirming that the trend toward modern/contemporary looks have trickled down from the home accents/furniture industries into juvenile and youth.

Strollers were another hot topic, see page 38 for our Up Close on the category.

The expo also showcased a variety of trends. Orange, particular the burnt version of the hue, popped up on nearly everything including bedding, strollers, gear and furniture, such as Young America's myHaven cottage group. Chocolate mixed with pinks, blues and greens also is still going strong.

Sea themes also were quite popular, with manufacturers such as CoCaLo, Kids Line and Sumersault all showing bedding with playful whales, octopuses and other ocean critters.

Pali bowed five collections, including Carrigan, and two finishes on existing collections. Carrigan is Pali's nod to modern looks with clean lines and a dark brown finish on birch.

RichPort inspires imagination with its brightly hued cartoon furniture debut. Howdy Cowdy has iconic drawer pulls, $559, showing little ones where to put their socks, shirts and more.

Bellaboo's buddy accessories include fleece hats, $19.95, and scarves, $19.95, with a menagerie of animals like cats, dogs, horses and more.

Grand Chapiteau debuted from Manhattan Toy's Cirque Du Soleil collection. The play circus, $60, designed for kids 2 and older, has bending, flying and spinning performers under a quirky big top.

Wabi Sabi from Glenna Jean is a very sophisticated girls group with Asian-inspired flair. Highlights include a dec pillow with fashionable grommets, $60, and a coordinating lamp, $180, that would even work in an adult bedroom.

Lambs & Ivy's butterfly ceiling sculpture, $28, adds fluttering, 3-dimensional detail to a little girl's room. The sculpture coordinates with the manufacturer's Bright Butterfly bedding collection.

Pitter Patter Collections' Chai bedding has an Asian-inspired paisley print on a soft light brown background. The four-piece set retails for $519, and it's also offered in a Lemongrass shade.

Romina made its ABC and U.S. debut with an extensive selection of solid wood cribs and case goods, including the Nerva convertible crib, $1,200, shown in distressed black finish.

Corsican's Zinky drop-gate crib is made of chrome and features a sleek, high-design look, $2,400. Cottage Dreams' graphic orange and pewter bedding adds the finishing touch.

Cherry Hill, from Berg, has book match veneers, creating a sophisticated look for baby. The armoire retails for $1,199.

Raindrops by Dee Givens & Co. showed the new Furry Friends gift set, packed in a cute pail. Customers can choose either a long or short-sleeve one-piece with pants set, or a pair of footed pajamas, all featuring animal appliqués. Retail prices range between $35 and $37.

Bumble Bags debuted its Lemon Lime Dot pattern, a hip mix of brown, green and yellow, seen here on the Madeline diaper bag, $116.

Gr8x's boutique baby bags have more on-trend colors and designs, including a shoulder tote (rear) that doubles as mom's overnight bag. The bags, shown in Red Vespa stripe, $100–$140, are distributed by Regal Lager.

CoCaLo's Go Fish collection encourages early learning as it mixes gender-neutral maritime shades with words and numbers. A four-piece set retails for $159.

Ahoy matey! Cotton Tale Designs' Pirates Cove is a fun nod to whimsical scalawags. The pirates and their ship are appliquéd in bright fabrics on an island paradise. The set includes a comforter, bumper, pleated dust ruffle and a black and white mini-dot print sheet.

Kootie Bug Designs has expanded its line of hand-painted pillows with new artwork, including a frog and turtle. Retail prices range between $38 and $64 each, depending on size.

Canadian manufacturer Rieva & Reine showed an assortment of sheet and duvet designs available in crib through king, including Angela, shown in yellow and white.

ViscoKidz's twin and full mattresses are made of a specially formulated layer of visco memory foam that responds to body temperature and weight. They come with removable, washable covers in Barry blue, Penny pink, shown, Lulu lavender, Gilbert Green and Oscar Orange. Pillows and shams also are available.

The Rug Market debuted on-trend looks with stars on a background of soft hues of blue, cream, yellow and chocolate stripes. A pink version also is available.

Pebbles, by California Kids, captures a tween's eye with a mix of dragonflies, zebra, dots and stripes all in an up-to-the-minute pink and chocolate combo with hints of cream.

Argington's Fundy play table is available with a flip-up dry erase or chalkboard top and inner storage for art supplies and more. The table retails for $399 and the Taj chairs are $120 for two.

Kids Line is offering a line of bath accessories, including trash cans, soap dish, hand towels and shower curtains, that coordinate with its popular Leap Froggie bedding collection. The accessories retail between $9.99 and $24.99.

The Studio crib from Nurseryworks, $1,780, has a built-in, flip-down changing table with space for storage inside the cabinet. When the crib is converted to a toddler daybed, the changer can be used as a desk. The daybed conversion kit is $250.

Newport Cottages ventures into a more modern look with the Cody collection. The combo dresser, $1,600, has three deep drawers, two shelves and a removable changer, sold separately. The crib, dressed in Maddie Boo bedding, retails for about $1,240.

Funkie Baby showed the Roll-n-Go soakproof travel mat, designed for picnics and other outings where you might want to take a seat. The 40″×60″ mat retails for $58, and is available in vivid shades like red poppy, sushi and cocoa daisy.

Our Stuff debuted fun storage solutions in the Tabletop area at ABC. Four options include school stuff, $19.99, shown, art stuff, preschool stuff and out-the-door stuff. The units hang for easy access and when filled you can fold and store.

Baby's Dream introduced the contemporary Ocean collection, which is available in glacier, a high-gloss white, and espresso finishes. The group includes a combination unit with metal knobs and a crib that converts to a twin bed by turning the end panels sideways, creating the head and footboard.

The Slatted bed from Alligator Enterprise offers a casual, contemporary look when paired with bedding from Cottage Dreams. The black queen bed shown retails for $999, and five additional finishes are available, all in twin through queen sizes.

BananaFish offers a safari look just for girls with Amanda. The quilt, bumper and other accessories feature silhouettes of jungle animals in a sweet pink contrasted with preppy dots and stripes and green accents. A four-piece set retails for $279.