New Nearshoring America Matchmaking Program to Coincide With Lightovation
Dallas Market Center (DMC) has announced the next phase of its Nearshoring America initiative that connects U.S. brands with factories and supply chain service providers from Mexico and Latin America. Most notably, the next edition will be held in January 2026 and will include a custom matchmaking program – open to DMC exhibitors – designed to facilitate faster, more efficient sourcing connections.
The inaugural Nearshoring America event was held in November 2024.
“From the beginning, Nearshoring America has been about building stronger, smarter supply chains closer to home,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of DMC. “This next step focuses on precision matchmaking — helping brands and manufacturers form real partnerships face-to-face.”
The 2026 Nearshoring America Matchmaking Program will link verified factories and service providers from Mexico and Latin America with U.S. brands in gift, home furnishings, lighting, and fashion accessories. Instead of a traditional trade show, the new format will collect production criteria directly from brands, deliver tailored supplier recommendations, and then host one-on-one meetings at Dallas Market Center inside Dallas Suites, a private meeting environment designed for sourcing conversations.
This new model reportedly removes friction from the sourcing process by leveraging more than two years of Dallas Market Center research, field visits to factories, and partnerships across the region. The goal is to deliver tangible results that accelerate discovery, reduce risk, and strengthen nearshore production networks.
The matchmaking program is open to all brands exhibiting at DMC seeking reliable nearshore production partners, as well as to vetted factories and service providers ready to expand into the U.S. market.
“Nearshoring is more than a trend — it’s a transformation,” added Michael Mendoza of DMC. “We’re proud to create a direct and data-driven way to match U.S. brands with trusted manufacturing partners across Latin America.”
The Nearshoring America matchmaking sessions will coincide with the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market and Lightovation in January. More information and registration details are available here
