Oct 11, 2006

Novica launches Corporate Gifts division

LOS ANGELES--Oct. 10, 2006--Novica.com (http://www.Novica.com), in association with National Geographic, announced the official launch today of a major Corporate Gifts division (http://www.novica.com/clientservices/index.cfm?action=corporategifts), broadening the company's reach beyond its successful online retail and wholesale marketplaces.

"We have enjoyed providing worldly limited-edition and one-of-a-kind handmade gifts privately to corporate gift buyers for many years now," said Roberto Milk, co-founder and CEO of Novica, adding, "We decided it was the right time to create a specialty division to cater directly to the particular needs of the corporate gift and in-room gift markets. Our synergy is fantastic."

Exquisite handmade statuettes from Ghana, exceptional hand-carved chess sets from Bali, and heirloom-quality hand-blown centerpieces from Brazil rank among the thousands of exclusive offerings now readily available to event planners and corporate gift buyers through Novica.com.

Most recently, Novica's stunning "Skyscraper" vases were featured as the awards for a major interior design awards event; 500 sterling silver "Heart" key chains were handmade and gifted to employees of a major heart research institute; and a virtual banquet of handmade Talavera ceramics were presented as gifts to executives attending a corporate event in Mexico.
 
Novica has carved out a particularly strong niche doing in-room gifts for conferences in Mexico and other popular destinations near the company's regional offices.  Novica's local office in Guadalajara, for example, ensures fast and inexpensive shipping of beautiful traditional Mexican gifts to such prime conference destinations as Baja California, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta.

Novica.com, part of the National Geographic family, offers more than 20,000 limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Unlike traditional retail channels, Novica works directly with artists and artisans through its seven international offices. Artisans set their own prices, earning more than they can locally, while customers benefit by purchasing direct, enjoying prices below international retail. All 2,000 master artisans are profiled and pictured on the website. Novica, founded in 1999 with the mission of aiding artisans and preserving ancient craft traditions, is headquartered in Los Angeles.

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