fri, november 07
Try to Party
Realtors Conference & Expo
Orlando
If we were National Association of Realtors president Dick Gaylord, we'd be clamoring to share the stage with Lance Armstrong too. The testicular-cancer-beating, seven-time-Tour-de-France-winning cyclist is the poster boy for overcoming bumpy times, and thus an appropriate keynote speaker for the 30,000 perpetually optimistic realtors at this convention. They'll put their "full speed ahead!" motto to the test with a night of unlimited roller-coaster rides at Universal Studios Florida. Stomach-lurching, adrenaline-inducing thrill rides with a guaranteed happy ending? They hope that's a fitting metaphor for their ailing industry. -- Kate Rockwood
fri, november 07
Collect
Sculptural Objects & Functional Art
Chicago
Not all property markets have gone cold: A decade ago, collectors could snag George Nakashima's dramatic, carved-wood dining tables for less than $10,000, but today, one costs 10 times that. His craggy, free-form redwood table, called Arlyn, fetched $822,400 at auction two years ago. "There's been a serious increase in value in pieces bridging the gap between functional and fine arts," says SOFA founder Mark Lyman. Which makes bargain hunting that much more fun at the 15th annual fair, where some 35,000 curators, decorators, collectors, and wishful thinkers will be on the prowl. Among the works on display during the three-day exposition will be pieces by glass artists Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra, sculptor Ruth Duckworth, and fiber artist Lenore Tawney. -- KR
mon, november 10
Journey
World Travel Market
London
What kind of trade show has a singing competition? A travel-industry one, obviously. From the 47,000 attendees at the four-day World Travel Market will emerge a singular, vocal figure, someone who dreams of "becoming the next Leona Lewis, but loves [her] job in the travel industry too much": the inaugural Travel Pop Star. Regional heats began online in September. The lucky ones with the most Web votes will go to the finals, to be held at the trade show and taped for the Web site TravelMole TV. The winner will get to record his or her "hit" song -- their quote marks, not ours -- at a London studio. -- Anne C. Lee
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