AmericasMart’s Home & Rug exhibitors are preparing for the Atlanta International Area Rug Market featuring the National Oriental Rug Show, sponsored by The Oriental Rug Importers Association (ORIA), Jan. 7 to 10 with new showrooms, collection expansions and updates across the marketplace. AmericasMart adds to the excitement with the launch of a new enclosed bridge connecting the Home & Rug collection in Building 1 to the Gift collection on Floor 6 of Building 2. 

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of Home & Rug,” says Kevin Malkiewicz, vice president of leasing for AmericasMart. “New, diverse lines are bringing a renewed energy to floors while established brands are updating, renovating and reimagining their spaces in a way we’ve never seen before. Buyers will not be able to miss this contagious energy at the market.” 
 
On Floor 5 Devgiri Exports opens a 12,000-square-foot showroom while ELK Group International opens a 10,000-plus square foot showroom to showcase its family of home décor, home accents, furniture and lighting lines–Dimond, Lazy Susan and Sterling–together for the first time. Also new to the collection are Light Garden showcasing a wide assortment of lighting concepts and home décor and Rizzy Home with handmade and machine made rugs on Floor 6 and exclusively designed Oriental rugs by Neman International on Floor 3.  
 
Expanded showrooms include Couristan (Floor 6), Kashee & Sons (Floor 4) and Pasargad Carpets (Floor 3). Capel Rugs, Shalom and Smyrna Trading relocate to Floor 3. Adding to the excitement is the relocated Market Club Lounge on Floor 6. Opened in July, the lounge is a handsome new destination for AmericasMart’s top buyers—those representing buying companies that have attended at least five Markets in the past five years.  
 
AmericasMart Atlanta again celebrates the creativity, artistry and passion of the area rug industry at its annual America’s Magnificent Carpets Awards on Friday, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. in the Peachtree Ballroom at the Westin Peachtree Plaza.
 
Thirteen winners will be named in the hand-hooked/hand-tufted, hand-knotted, flat weave, machine-made and outdoor rugs categories as decided by a panel of industry professionals.  
 
All rugs in consideration for the awards will hang in the Museum of Introductions on Building 1, Floor 4 from Jan. 7 to 10. On Saturday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m., buyers are invited to view the winning rugs and meet the designers at the Breakfast of Champions.  
  
AmericasMart’s Market programming for Home & Rug buyers offers diverse and exciting educational opportunities. Highlights include Pantone presenting color trends and the methodology of its color of the year; Stylebeat blogger Marisa Marcantonio leading a discussion of building home brands in the digital world; creating emotional design environments with Jamie Durie of HGTV’s “The Outdoor Room;” and home decorating tips from celebrity wedding and entertainment personality David Tutera. Oriental Rug Retailers of America (ORRA) again presents exclusive at-Market programming including a discussion of the future of the rug industry, educational programs and walking tours of the Market.  
 
For more information, visit AmericasMart.com.