High Point Market Events and News
By Staff -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 9/28/2007 2:51:00 PM
High Point, NC — There’s a lot going on in and around High Point, as furniture, home accessories and gift showrooms and exhibitors get ready to greet buyers for the High Point Market running October 1–7. To make it easier for buyers to navigate and productively shop the market, the High Point Market Authority is introducing a new, color-coded showroom identification system this market. The set of five leaf-shaped icons represent five categories of service — Designer-Friendly, Small Retailer-Friendly, Container Only, U.S. Warehouse and Exporter — and are designed to be displayed near showroom entrances. The color-coded graphics will correspond to exhibitor listings in the High Point Market Pocket Directory.
According to Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority, the new graphics were created to help first-time visitors, smaller independent retailers and interior designers quickly identify the showrooms that will best serve their needs.
“We are encouraging all High Point Market exhibitors to adopt these new icons as part of their showroom signage,” said Casey. “We expect to be hosting thousands of first-time visitors at the High Point Market and our goal is to help [all market-goers] make the most of their time here. Market-wide adoption of these graphics will enable visitors to quickly ascertain whether their business is welcome in a particular showroom, and help exhibitors attract qualified prospects and the constituencies they seek to serve.”
Elsewhere, Hamilton Properties has completed the renovations of the 320/330 N. Hamilton showroom buildings in the Hamilton Wrenn District. The buildings have a new look and have incorporated a new café to enable buyers to grab a quick cappuccino or snack between appointments. Fresh paint and new awnings complete the updated look. Renovations on the 200 N. Hamilton building will begin after the market.
CBK, vendor of home decor, gifts, and accessories, is offering a number of incentives for buyers in its High Point showroom in the IHFC on Wren Street. While viewing the company’s new offerings in garden and home decor items in its newly renovated and updated showroom they can enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee. And Monday and Tuesday lunch will be served with jazz music in the background, and a prize drawing for products worth $500 in retail value will be held.
The EcoStyle Pavilion, part of a cooperative effort between Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI) and the Sustainable Furniture Council launched last, has expanded to 6,500 square feet for the fall market. The EcoStyle Pavilion will again be located on the Top floor of the Suites at Market Square. The pavilion will provide a centralized location for companies to showcase their eco-friendly products to buyers seeking sustainable home furnishings.
“The EcoStyle Pavilion is an important and growing feature of our Suites at Market Square building and the High Point Market in general,” said Karen Olson, vice president of marketing for MMPI. “More and more consumers are becoming aware of the importance of sustainability and are making lifestyle choices to minimize their impact on the environment. This consumer demand is driving more and more buyers at High Point Market to specifically seek out earth-friendly products.”
In addition to the pavilion, MMPI and the Sustainable Furniture Council will again produce the EcoStyle Map to help buyers find green products at High Point Market, and a party in the Century Courtyard in Market Square on Thursday, October 5, will celebrate the importance of green in the residential home furnishings industry.
