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MOMENI DESIGN STARS SHARE SECRETS TO LICENSING SUCCESS
 Momeni presented "Living with Style -- The Making of a Successful Licensed Product Partnership" with its celebrity designer licensing partners, from left, Cortney and Robert Novogratz of The Novogratz, designer Erin Gates, and Madcap Cottage's Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke.
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LAS VEGAS -- On a Monday afternoon packed with parties, Momeni drew a standing room only crowd to its Las Vegas Market showroom, with buyers and designers eager to hear the company's celebrity licensing partners' thoughts on living with style.
A panel discussion, entitled, "Living with Style - The Making of a Successful Licensed Product Partnership," was followed by book signings and a meet and greet with speakers Cortney and Robert Novogratz of The Novogratz, Erin Gates founder of Erin Gates Design, and Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke, co-founders of Madcap Cottage.
Aria Momeni, Reza Momeni and Ali Momeni greet retailers and designers attending Momeni's showroom party and panel discussion on Jan.28 during Las Vegas Market.
"It's amazing: Standing room only," Reza Momeni, principal, told RugNews.com at the event. Indeed, Momeni's licensors all have unique design styles and tremendous fan bases that have broadened the rug maker's reach into new looks and new customers. "The synergy with our licensing partners is great," Momeni said. "These programs are helping our brand all around. What's fantastic about our design partners is they speak about designing with rugs in a way that resonates with other designers as well as consumers."
Momeni's World Market Center showroom attracted a standing-room-only crowd to meet with the company's three licensed brand partners.
Momeni actually expanded its licensed collections, and added new collections to its own branded lines here in January. The 20 new introductions debuting in the company's showroom were carefully curated to help broaden its range of qualities, designs, and colorways, Reza Momeni said.
Attendees got to see the second round of designs for Erin Gates by Momeni. New additions include Thompson flat weaves, tufted options, and a hand-knotted collection that emulates the look of one-of-a-kind rugs.
Cortney and Robert Novogratz at the Momeni panel (above) and with fans lining up for a book signing and meet and greet (below).
The Novogratz by Momeni license also saw expansions. New this year is a flatweave collection, and options also grew within the whimsical Cucina throw rugs line, with shapes like daisies, donuts, and French fries.
What's more, the company expanded its one-of-a-kind presentation with a second showroom offered by IMC for this market. "We have grown this business and it includes everything from traditional to contemporary. Our customers have been asking to see more one-of-kinds at Las Vegas Market, so this gives them many more choices. The showroom is very busy with appointments," Reza Momeni said.
Erin Gates, whose collection increased significantly with Vegas introductions, had plenty of prime space in Momeni's showroom windows below.
Rachel Fasciani, vice president of marketing and licensing for Momeni, said the company had good expectations for the January market. "We've seen positive movement and growth in our Vegas markets, and we had more of the same," she said, noting that traffic to the showroom was spurred by the panel discussion.
Madcap Cottage founders Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke at the Momeni Living with Style panel and a meet and greet book signing with fans (below).
"Guests came away with an insight into how our partners successfully license their brands - what their goal was from the beginning, stumbling blocks along the way, and how they got a foot in the door. The underlying goal was to drive traffic into the showroom and make people excited about Momeni. They left with a book or two or three, and an experience they won't forget. And hopefully we got them interested enough to keep them coming back to our showroom," Fasciani explained.
A Madcap Cottage Display in the Momeni showroom (above), and showroom windows featuring The Novogratz collection at Las Vegas Market (below).
