NYNOW365, a new online product directory created by GLM, facilitates retailers' searches for products and exhibitors at NY NOW, the Market for Home & Lifestyle, formerly the New York International Gift Fair. Retailers can find the image-based directory at www.NYNOW365.com.

"We have created NYNOW365 as part of GLM's mission to improve efficiencies of product sourcing and distribution within the markets we serve," said Charles McCurdy, CEO of GLM. "As a proprietary online resource available 365 days a year, NYNOW365 allows GLM to be the most robust market-maker in the industry."

NY NOW registrants and other qualified buyers can access NYNOW365 through a Request Invite form on the site. Retailers can browse or search for specific suppliers and products. As part of each search, buyers have options to like the product, and/or pin the product to their own online product board for future reference.

A Popular tab allows buyers to see products which have been searched and liked by other site users. In turn, users can see product boards made public by other users. Additionally, buyers can request product information, including wholesale pricing and availability as well as at-market meetings with exhibitors.

"NYNOW365 is the ‘next generation' of online product directories available to our industry," said Christian Falkenberg, NYIGF director and svp/GLM. "It allows users not only to find information about tens of thousands of products and companies but also enables them to categorize, to like and to share their finds."

The site also has several features specific to exhibiting suppliers, including the ability to upload an unlimited amount of product information– including images and videos– and at no cost. Content specialists are available to assist companies in preparing directory listings and uploading content. Exhibitors also receive retailer leads, and these leads are scored and prioritized to indicate buyer interest, along with a monthly data and trend report detailing the NYNOW365 audience. Enhanced retailer data, trends and analytics, delivering market insights, will roll out as a paid option starting in April 2013.

"NYNOW365 has been live in Beta mode for three weeks, and already, we have nearly 10,000 products loaded onto the site," said Jason Brown, chief digital officer for GLM. "When we officially launch the site in April, we expect to have 17,000+ products from hundreds of exhibiting suppliers, as well as additional functionality allowing for more advanced analytics. This proprietary GLM product extends well beyond traditional online catalogs and traditional exhibitor search engines. GLM has pioneered the use of PHP and Drupal to develop a visual product directory, capable of housing hundreds of thousands of products, in a format that is both robust and scalable."

The launch of NYNOW365 precedes the summer market launch of NY NOW, the Market for Home & Lifestyle. NY NOW will run Saturday, August 17 through Wednesday, August 21, at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers. NY NOW's four comprehensive collections – Home, Lifestyle, Handmade and New – encompass 100,000 products in 400+ product categories, from nearly 2,800 exhibitors. GLM expects some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide.