New York - During 19th century, when immigration in the U.S. was in its heyday, New York was the meeting place of international cultures. Today, with the help of show organizers such as George Little Management, New York has become the meeting place of international suppliers. With its New York Home Textiles Show in April and Surtex, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, and The Supply Side in May, GLM serves as a kind of international matchmaker of sources and buyers, bringing exhibitors from around the globe to a hungry audience in New York.

GLM has been actively recruiting international exhibitors for its annual edition of the New York Home Textiles Show, which sells textiles to U.S. retailers. According to GLM, it''s what the U.S. retailers need.

"We''ve been trying to grow the international aspect of the show. We are literally bringing the world to buyers," said GLM spokesperson Marianne Delaney. "It''s what the buyers want and what the retailers need in this highly competitive retail climate. To bring this broad array of global resources to buyers makes the show more successful each year."

Whether or not the industry needs global goods, buyers do want them. U.S. consumers have demonstrated a growing desire to bring the world into their homes - cookware and linens from Europe, carpets from Asia, art from South America, and so on. To satisfy this American appetite for cross-cultural ethnicity in home decor, GLM has sounded the call to international exporters.

"This is what buyers need to differentiate themselves. To fulfill the needs of American consumers, a huge multi-cultural population, retailers need to source global product. It''s unique, it''s exciting and the quality of product that''s being brought to market from around the world has improved dramatically over the last 10 years," said Delaney. This year, 168 of its 500 exhibitors came from overseas.

A growing number of overseas government agencies, recognizing the importance of helping their textile manufacturers establish a market in the U.S., have sponsored pavilions at the show. In the past, these have included Bangladesh, Brazil, France, Israel, and three different regional groups from China. This year, for the first time, Vietnam and Italy''s Italian Trade Commission debuted pavilions.

In all, 87 companies were represented in government-sponsored pavilions at the NYHT. But besides the coverage being provided for them in that way, 81 of those companies chose to also exhibit independently.

International designers and artists have long recognized the need to show in New York. As a forum for these artists to reach American buyers, GLM sponsors Surtex, the only global commercial art and design exposition serving all product categories. Every year Surtex accommodates a growing list of international artists and designers trying to attract the interest of art buyers in every area of American manufacturing.

This year, about 50 percent of the Show''s 320 exhibitors will come from overseas, bringing a myriad of global design concepts to the American manufacturing sector. In addition to the domestic exhibitors and a substantial representation from the U.K., Surtex will feature companies from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland. This year, GLM anticipates trade attendance to top 5,000.

"Surtex has become a key global resource for a vest array of manufacturing sectors sourcing art and design for multi-dimensional uses," explained Penny Sikalis, vice president and group show manager. "Rug manufacturers, home fashion companies, greeting card producers, toy manufacturers, and even the automotive industry are just a few of the many sectors which have come to rely on Surtex offerings for all of their design needs."

And not just art and designs are for sale and/or license at Surtex. The show also features educational programs - this year, a technology series, licensing series, business series and trend series - special events, and special displays, and sells tools for the design industry such as CAD/CAM services, publications, and trend services.

And in 2003, GLM will bring even more of the world to American buyers. A new exhibition, called "Sources," will run concurrently with Surtex and three other GLM trade shows, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, the National Stationery Show and The Supply Side, all slated for 17-21 May, 2003, at New York City''s Jacob K. Javits Center.

"Sources" will shrink the globe even more for U.S. buyers who don''t want to become globe-trotters, making numerous buying trips to other continents.

Next spring, it appears that commercial U.S. buyers will need only to visit New York to shop the globe. F&FI