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There is an old saying which still rings true today—“the difference is in the detail.” As a businessperson, I subscribe fully to the notion of using this tactic to my advantage. We often tend to lose sight of the concept of placing our own business operations under the microscope, but there has never been a more opportune window to do so. It may seem a bit odd, but time will tell how fine the clarity was to your lens.

Various channels of business are slowly starting to ramp back, and with them, perhaps a golden chance exists for additional development. Time to grab hold of the figurative business mirror and place it in front of your current methods. Could it be after having been in forced hibernations for so long the perception you have of your organization is no longer reality, as viewed through the eyes of your customer base. Why not utilize this sudden awakening, to re-introduce or reposition your operation? It all starts from first possessing a willingness to do so.

The boutique trade show for high-end rug brands returns to its premium position at the International Surface Event (TISE), Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, January 28–30, 2025. Here’s what you need to know …

I can hear the frozen droplets of water bouncing off the window outside as I type this article. Another reminder winter has not yet accepted it must eventually yield way to spring. Until such time occurs, we wait patiently for the new weather alteration to arrive. Four seasons of predictable patterns annually provide a gentle nudge on the shoulder for each of us; like it or not things are going to be very different soon.

It seems just yesterday the leaves were falling as we all began to bundle up nightly for the eventual temperature drop around here. Slowly our mind began to reconcile with our body, winter was marching toward us gaining more and more momentum each and every day. Instead of trying to resist the inevitable, we accept, prepare and pivot. And for the next three months, the frigid cold becomes our new norm. Snowy roads are a part of the scenery, and outdoor activities are altered accordingly.

It is the beginning of October, and the New York-New Jersey area rug industry is still abuzz from the excitement of the two major Fall Market trade shows that took place in September — Cover Connect in Midtown Manhattan and The Rug Show in Secaucus, New Jersey.

I woke up today thinking, for some reason, the new day, the new week, the new month were all going to bring some different kind of stability not yet seen in the preceding six. Predictably, my current world has still been turned upside down—nothing new here—my freshly poured cup of coffee next to me probably my only constant during this remarkable “time of transition.” I refer to this year by that moniker, simply because it makes perfect sense to do so all things considered. Lest anyone think we are going back to the way things were, you shall be sadly awoken to a new reality. The business world has changed forever in 2020 in every way possible. We are living in the current version of a new normal right now. As for the future new normal… 

We are entering Fall 2024, with the sweltering summer heat behind us and the welcome return of more temperate weather. This comes along with the annual return of kids to school and of the workforce to a full-time schedule. For those of us in the area rug industry, the arrival of the Fall season also brings with it the return of our clients and colleagues from their summer vacations, the return to a jam-packed schedule of showroomsits, appointments, and product introductions, and perhaps most significantly, the return of the much-anticipated Fall Rug Market Shows.

What an incredibly strange world we live in currently. While it is true that among public health officials and epidemiologists the dangers of a pandemic have long been feared, who amongst the general population might have predicted one year ago that getting a haircut wouldn’t be possible?

The role, relevance—and registration rates of exhibitors, buyers and designers, alike—for home furnishings market events are on the rise again, post-pandemic. Even in today’s hyper-digital world, where it’s not just common but de rigueur to connect and conduct business remotely via screens, some exchanges and experiences are better left in person.