Larry Thomas — Furniture Today,

Numbers surprise IHFMA board
HIGH POINT — According to early registration figures from the International Home Furnishings Market Authority, April market attendance was 95,514 — about 20,000 more than any previous estimate.

The figure, which surprised IHFMA board members and market officials at their post-market meeting today, includes 47,628 buyers. The rest were exhibitors, sales representatives, maintenance and showroom staff and others associated with the event.

“The numbers demonstrate that this market is very strong,” said new IHFRA President Brian Casey. He said officials “really didn’t know what to expect” in total attendance, because this market was the first one with a central registration system in place.

Casey said he believes total attendance could top 100,000, because reps and others in some outlying showrooms didn’t bother to register if they didn’t plan to come to the central downtown buildings.

He also said that of 236 key buying organizations identified by market officials, 234 sent people to High Point.

At recent High Point markets, officials had estimated attendance at 70,000 to 75,000.