21^st ANNUAL DESIGN EXCELLENCE COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS OUTSTANDING

CASUAL FURNITURE PRODUCT DESIGN

The Prestigious Award Honors the Year’s Best in 10 Product Categories During the

International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market^™

CHICAGO (Sept. 15, 2005) – More than 10 of the industry’s leading manufacturers were honored with the prestigious Design Excellence Award during the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market^™, held at The Merchandise Mart, Sept. 14-17, 2005. More than 140 products were entered in the competition, the most ever.

The Design Excellence Awards – considered the highest recognition for product design in the casual furniture industry – honor manufacturers whose merchandise demonstrate innovation, fine craftsmanship and great engineering in 10 product categories. A record number of 45 manufacturers competed for the honors. A distinguished panel of industry experts judged the entries and the Summer & Casual Furniture Manufacturers Association (SCFMA) presents the awards.

The 2005 Lillian B. Winchester Award for Best in Show will be announced at the evening’s Apollo Awards at Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom.

The 2005 Design Excellence Winners are:

Cast Metal Furniture

Kyoto Dining Table

Century Leisure, Division of Century Furniture

Cast Combination Furniture

Lakeside Woven Dining Chair

Tropitone Furniture

Tubular Materials Furniture

Equinox High Dining Chair

Barlow Tyrie

Wrought Iron/Wrought Aluminum Furniture

At Home in Tuscany-Rectangular Dining Table

Laneventure

Resin/Fiberglass Furniture

Bali Sunlounger

Grossfillex

Rattan/Wicker/Woven Materials Furniture

Horizon Deep Seating Arm Chair

Gloster Furniture, Inc.

Wood Casual Furniture

Colorado Extension Table

Rock Wood Casual Furniture

Shade Products

Metro Parasol

TUUCI

Outdoor Lighting

Shade-A'lier

Olympia Lighting

Complementary Casual Products

Narita Tabletop

Ancient Mosaic Studios

The International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market is sponsored by the SCFMA and the Casual Furniture Retailers Association (CFR), the industry’s two leading casual furniture associations, and managed by Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI).

For more information about the Chicago Casual Market or Design Excellence Awards, please call 800.677.6278 (MART) or visit www.merchandisemart.com and click on the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market.

SAVE THE DATE:

International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market™

Sept. 13-16, 2006

The Merchandise Mart

Chicago, Ill.

Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI) is a trade show, leasing and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space. MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year.

MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart, 350 W. Mart Center and 33 North Dearborn in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center and Washington Office Center in Washington D.C.

Vornado Realty Trust, owner of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.

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PRESS CONTACTS:

Natalie Campbell

Public Relations Associate

Phone: 312.527.7790

E-mail: ncampbell@mmart.com