Trade show organizers sometimes change show dates because of a scheduling conflict, but rarely do they change a date for strategic reasons. Yet, that is what the New York Tabletop Association recently did. Its New York Fall Tabletop Show has been held in October for the past 40 years, but the group, under the leadership of President David Zrike, unanimously decided to move the show to September this year, for several reasons. Lead times have increased in terms of product development, making a late October show too late. Stores are also setting their holiday assortments out earlier, in many cases by 30-60 days. And, moving the show to September aligns it with the New York textiles market, which might help the relevance of both shows and give store management a break by only having to travel to New York once in the fall, according to Zrike, who also heads the tabletop company Zrike Brands. “We felt it was a good time to test the waters,” said Zrike, who has been leading the Tabletop Association since the volunteer group took over management of the show at 41 Madison Avenue in 2022. “Obviously, it’s a challenging year in a lot of ways and we’re continuing to try to make sure the shows remain relevant and serve the needs of the customer.” In an industry resistant to change, Zrike and his team deserve credit for daring to try something new.
