NY NOW, the New York-based gift, home and lifestyle trade show, has added four experienced industry professionals to its sales and marketing team and is unveiling a refreshed brand identity designed to reflect the show’s evolving direction.
The updated brand identity brings a fresh visual look to NY NOW while retaining a name that exhibitors, buyers and industry partners recognize. Inspired by the landmarks that make New York City unmistakably itself, show organizers say the new branding translates one of the city’s most recognizable shapes (the route emblems of the subway system) into a mark that is monumental in presence and deliberate form.
“NY NOW and New York City both have deep roots as centers of connection, commerce and discovery,” says Dorothy Belshaw, CEO of NY NOW. “The new branding leans into those parallels and reflects the city’s bold energy and iconic imagery.”
The new brand identity will be fully rolled out at the upcoming show Aug. 2-4 at the Javits Center in New York.
To support the new branding, NY NOW has intentionally hired new team members with deep industry knowledge to drive the show’s growth with strategic direction. NY NOW has added new team members, including Ashley Ciofrone as senior manager of customer success; Michelle Karol as vice president of business development; Leanna Worrall as vice president of business development; and Sarah Zeigler as content and communications lead.
Ciofrone comes to NY NOW with 13 years of experience in the gift, home and trade show industry, and she has been involved with NY NOW throughout her career, building and maintaining relationships with brands across a range of categories. In her new role as senior manager of customer success, she will focus on customer experience and brand support.
Karol, who is a new vice president of business development, has over 18 years of experience in the gift and home industry, with a background in handmade, gift, luxury and kitchen & table categories. She spent the last 11 years working on Las Vegas Market and prior to that seven years at NY NOW with specific oversight of the Handmade division.
Worrall, who is a new vice president of business development, has over 20 years of experience in the gift, home and trade show industry, with a background that spans exhibiting, trade show sales and operations, and permanent showroom leasing. She previously worked for ANDMORE/IMC for 12 years, and prior to that she worked on the California Gift Show and San Francisco International Gift Show.
Zeigler comes to NY NOW with eight years of experience in the gift and home industries working on Atlanta Market with a background in marketing communications. In her new role, she will lead content and communications for the trade show, with a focus on brand storytelling and audience engagement.
“We’re excited to welcome Ashley, Michelle, Leanna and Sarah to the team,” says Belshaw. “They each bring deep industry experience and a genuine commitment to the brands and buyers in our community. In addition to their individual contributions, many of them have worked together previously so they create an immediate spirit of collaboration and camaraderie—essential elements of the team’s culture and an important foundation for effectively serving our customers.”
NY NOW runs Aug. 2-4 at the Javits Center in New York City. Registration information and more details can be found at www.nynow.com.
