The International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market, held at the Merchandise Mart for over 35 years, announced a rebranding endeavor during a presentation to the Board of the International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) in February 2015 in Orlando.

The rebranding strategy includes renaming the show Casual Market Chicago, a more concise and commonly used name for The International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market (ICFA). The name came with a new clean, concise logo and icon that will be adaptable for different uses and mediums.

The tagline “The Ultimate Destination for All Things Outdoor,” will be used in print and on web platforms to better establish the Chicago show held at the Mart as the leader in the Casual Industry. 

A positioning statement was written to further explain the benefits of exhibiting and attending Casual Market Chicago: “The Casual Market is the world’s largest marketplace for the best in outdoor furnishings. Discover new products, hundreds of exhibitors and the largest selection of permanent showrooms anywhere.”

The new logo and tagline, combined with beautiful photography, also inspired a striking new advertising campaign that will appear in 44 issues between now and September. The new brand and look was carried through all of the Casual Market Chicago campaigns including digital, website, print and sales materials. In total, the campaign will include images of more than 75 manufacturers represented at the show.

“The rebranding effort was well received by the ICFA and its members. We strongly believe this will elevate the marketing efforts for Casual Market Chicago and will solidify our show as “The Ultimate Destination for all things Outdoor,” says Julia Chappell, managing director, Marketing. “Our year round marketing program supports not only the show in September but also brings awareness to the businesses that maintain showrooms in the Mart.”

The Merchandise Mart recently inked a contract with the ICFA to be the home of Casual Market Chicago through 2022. In addition, the Mart has resigned or extended 27 permanent showroom leases and signed on three new showrooms including Sunvilla, Klaussner and Outdoor By Design.

The Casual Market Chicago is a four-day trade show taking place September 16-19, 2015 that provides retailers with an outlet to find all things related to outdoor and casual living. Featuring the latest products and trends in the industry, the Casual Market includes permanent showrooms and temporary exhibitors totaling approximately 350,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space in The Merchandise Mart.