Furniture Today,
Buyers can research exhibitors, events, then map out routes

HIGH POINT — Making the most of a market with more than 2,000 exhibitors and some 12 million square feet of showroom space requires good planning, and the High Point Market Authority is offering some enhanced online assistance.


Its newly upgraded Market Planner tool goes live this week on the market Web site at www.highpointmarket.org.

Both seasoned buyers and first-time visitors can use the planner to research exhibitors and events before market, then select and save showrooms and events they want to see. To find the tool, go to the Web site and click on Planning Your Visit, then the Market Planning icon.

“Buyers can search and map their route by company name, showroom building or product category, and create a pdf file they can e-mail to associates and/or print out to carry along in High Point, complete with a map of shuttle routes that serve the sights they most want to see,” said Brian Casey, Market Authority president and CEO. “With such a vast array of constituents, all with varying requirements, the Market Planner tool tailors the High Point Market to the personal needs of each attendee.”

This season, the Market Planner has been upgraded to include designations that indicate whether an exhibitor is small-retailer friendly and/or designer friendly, whether the exhibitor is a container-only supplier, has a U.S. warehouse and/or whether the exhibitor has minimum-order requirements.

“Buyers responded very positively when we created a printed market directory with these designations, and many suggested that we marry these designations to the Market Planner function on the Web site,” said Casey. “The result is a user-friendly, time-saving tool that will help attendees quickly identify the showrooms they most want to visit. Every marketgoer’s time is precious and, as always, we want to do all that we can to help everyone make the most of their visit to High Point.”