On Saturday, December 9, 2017, Market America | SHOP.COM sponsored a truly unique event as part of Art Basel Miami Beach, which was held Dec. 7-10.  JR and Loren Ridinger have always been big believers in helping others achieve their dreams.  This year, Market America | SHOP.COM invested in the dreams of a very talented new-to-the-scene artist! The National YoungArts Foundation has started the Daniel Arsham Fellowship, which includes a $25,000 award and year-long mentorship program with Arsham, an acclaimed artist. Market America | SHOP.COM sponsored the unrestricted $25,000 grant, which for its first year went to YoungArts alum and up-and-coming artist SHENEQUA. The program is currently funded for three years. Market America | SHOP.COM will also donate an additional $75,000 to support ongoing programming for YoungArts alumni. Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week took over New York City from September 8-15, with a line-up of 99 designers showing their spring 2012 collections in Lincoln Center and various other venues throughout Manhattan.  Amid the silks, chiffons, organza,  floral prints, neon colors, geometrical shapes, and pastel prints that graced the runways, Mercedes-Benz showcased its latest fashion statement, the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster (think Barbie DREAM CAR on steroids) and C63 AMG Coupe, two all new models available later this year. Our favorite designers this season included Mercedes-Benz presents designer, Derek Lam; Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg, Nanette Lepore, Pamela Rolland, Milly by Michelle Smith and Diesel Black Gold (especially since Gerard Butler! was sitting front row).   Enjoy our stories about a few of the stellar parties we attended and a little bit about the lounges- the other side of Fashion Week. Read the rest of this entry »

JR Ridinger, President and CEO of Market America

In a motivating and captivating presentation, which included Lion Dancers, celebrity performances and fireworks, Market America’s founders, JR and Loren Ridinger detailed the company’s recent acquisition of SHOP.COM (www.shop.com) before 22,000 enthusiastic attendees at Market America’s  World Conference on February 3- which coincided with the Chinese New Year (ergo the Lion Dancers) . 

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Happy Days are here again! With just days to the Big Game, and the requisite parties (60 and counting),  promotions, events, concerts, goodie bags, celebrity and athlete appearances and fan experiences, what’s not to love about the Super Bowl, whether or not  you are a football fan? While we have yet to see events in the line-up to top the Ocean Drive magazine/ Market America Super Bowl party, voted “Best Party” of 2007, which featured concerts by Fergie, JLo and Marc Anthony, music by the late, great, DJ AM and just about every A-list celeb you can imagine we’ve managed to put together a short list of this year’s best Bowl bets.

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Ride Eva, Ride…

Everyone’s favorite (not-so-desperate) “Housewife,” Eva Longoria Parker, alongside BFFs, J.R. and Loren Ridinger, joined forces with 20 other celebs, to chair the first Rally for Kids with Cancer Scavenger Cup in Miami to benefit the Jackson Memorial Foundation, International Kids Fund (IKF) and Holtz Children’s Hospital. Kind of like an Amazing Race on steroids, the Rally events began on Friday night, at the “Qualifiers” Celebrity Draft Party, at the Ridingers’ North Bay Road manse, where each driver drafted his/her Celebrity Navigator. J.R. Ridinger, whose Market America team raised the highest amount, over $125, 000, drafted Longoria Parker. After brunch on Saturday, Loren Ridinger waved the checkered flag to signal the start of the race, which would include a total of 7 pit stops throughout Miami. Each team was required to find and solve a clue in order to determine the location of the subsequent stop. The race was extremely competitive. Team Market America even set up a control center with computers where Loren helped find answers for trivia questions while J. R. and Longoria Parker figured out the pit stop locations. When asked about their favorite pit stops, J.R. and Longoria Parker conveyed to Miami Socialholic that their favorite was the comedy stop at Blue Martini, where they had to perform a timed, impromptu comedy act together. They said they were completely put on the spot but loved it, especially since they were the only team to receive a ten from each of the three judges. A close runner up involved a jet-ski race out on the ocean where they had to find a hidden flag on the buoy that held the clue to the next location. They won this stop also, beating the other teams by finding the flag in just 2 minutes and 66 seconds! The consensus among all team members was that the most touching pit stop was at Jackson Memorial’s Holtz Children’s Hospital, during which the contestants interacted with the children, who created paintings of each team.

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