Gourmet Catalog Event Brings Excitement to Atlanta Show With New Product Previews

The 12th Annual Start the Year Member Conference held at AmericasMart in Atlanta was another success for Gourmet Catalog & Buying Group, the leading buying group in the housewares industry. 

“Our 12th annual Start the Year event was our best yet,” said Janis Johnson, president and founder of Gourmet Catalog. “We have heard such encouraging feedback from both store members and vendors on what a great event it was. Seeing everyone with a positive outlook for 2015 was encouraging and heartwarming.”

The two-day, members-only conference focused on networking, new product introductions, sales demonstrations and learning opportunities. The event featured several keynote speakers, including Bob Negen from WhizBang! Training, presenting topics ranging from how to be more productive to how to best utilize social media. Faye Gooding, CEO of Le Creuset of America, brought her insight into retail, drawing on many years of experience with a top national brand. Members also shared information with each other during open discussions.

“We were especially impressed by how willing retailers were to share ideas and offer solutions to each other,” said Suzanne Lane from Gray Goose Cookery in Old Mystic, Conn. “It is a very supportive atmosphere.”

One evening was dedicated to the popular dinner and cocktails party at the prestigious Capital City Club, where stores, vendors, reps and industry press had a chance to interact.

The exclusive all-day showcase the following day drew a record number of vendor lines, completely filling the exhibition space. Store members had access to company presidents and top executives from 180 of the Gourmet Catalog & Buying Group’s vendor members. This opportunity resulted in valuable face time to see upcoming and top-selling products, as well as a few new products making a debut ahead of the March Housewares Show, according to Johnson. Included in these new products were the just-introduced Estates collection from Wellnessmats and a sneak peek at Calphalon’s self-sharpening cutlery line.

“I am always so impressed by the relationships I see being built and strengthened between the stores and in turn the vendors,” said Krista Jenkins, national sales manager for RSVP International. “The sharing of ideas fuels the creativity of each customer and encourages new methods and concepts, which increases business overall. We are so grateful to be a part of this event.”