Dallas Market Center Moves Forward With August Events

August 19, 2020

Thanks to strong health and safety measures and a new touchless registration system to protect event participants, more than 95 percent of permanent showrooms will be open for business during the August Market events at Dallas Market Center. This 5-million-square-foot wholesale marketplace for retailers and interior designers is located near downtown Dallas.

More than 800 permanent showrooms and 450 temporary spaces will be open during the Total Home & Gift Market, set for Aug. 19-25; and the Apparel & Accessories Market, KidsWorld and the Western & English Market, all three of which will take place Aug. 25-28. The Men’s Show was held Aug. 14-17. Among the exhibitors in permanent spaces are 67 new, expanded or relocated showrooms.

“We’re extremely pleased with the high level of participation for August events,” said Cindy Morris, Dallas Market Center president and CEO. “Thank you to our showrooms and temps for their consistent communication, flexibility and partnership on strict health and safety measures.” 

According to market officials, pre-registration for the August events accelerated by more than 35 percent following encouraging news that COVID-19 cases had declined in Dallas County in July (a situation that has hanged in recent days, according to local news reports), along with the recent debut of DMC’s new touchless registration system, FastPass.

Available through DMC’s website, FastPass is a one-step pre-registration for buyers that delivers an immediate email confirmation and barcode. Recent improvements have made the process of registering for it easier, while obtaining a FastPass on-site is now quicker and low-contact, according to DMC officials.

Meanwhile, strict measures to ensure visitor health and safety — including existing procedures for social distancing, a mask requirement and mandatory temperature checks for all event participants — will be in place for all August events and the foreseeable future. The guidelines, which were put in place for the Apparel & Accessories Market and KidsWorld Market events in June, have been integrated into the events’ design, with open parking, large entryways, wide hallways, multiple escalators and controlled showroom access to allow for social distancing.

Created in accordance with national and local health authority guidelines, these comprehensive efforts also cover facility operations, food and beverage service, shuttles and employee screening.

“Our primary concern is the well-being of our customers, and throughout this pandemic we have been in close contact with state and local officials as well as our customer community to seek their perspective on business conditions, health and safety measures, and travel concerns,” Morris said in a statement. 

In addition to its gift, home décor, lighting, holiday, floral, gourmet, housewares and fashion showrooms, Dallas Market Center also houses the largest residential lighting marketplace in North America; the largest open-daily design center; trade events for gift, home décor, holiday and floral; and a comprehensive apparel and accessories marketplace. 

  

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