IMC Coordinating Home Industry Humanitarian Efforts

Furniture World News Desk on 10/18/2017

International Market Centers, the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries, recently announced that it will coordinate product donations and other humanitarian efforts by exhibitors in High Point Market, which runs through Wednesday, and Las Vegas Market, January 28-February 1, 2018.

“International Market Centers prides itself on being a ‘global good citizen,’ and we are delighted to mobilize our resources to help communities in need,” said Robert Maricich, chief executive officer, IMC. “Whether the needs stem from natural disasters like the hurricanes in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico, or from tragedies like the recent shootings in Las Vegas, IMC is proud to facilitate logistics for exhibitor product donations, heighten awareness for exhibitor-sponsored initiatives and demonstrate support for communities in crisis.”

IMC has set up locations in both High Point and Las Vegas to facilitate product donations for relief efforts in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico. In High Point, product donations can be delivered after October 19 to IHFC Main 905; and in Las Vegas, product donations will be accepted November 1 through January 25 in showroom A416. Donations received at IMC will be transported to impacted areas and distributed through appropriate locally-based assistance organizations.

Donations directed to Houston will be shared between Houston Furniture Bank (houstonfurniturebank.org/) and Dwell with Dignity (dwellwithdignity.org). Dwell with Dignity donations are part of an initiative by CODARUS, a leading multi-line furniture, bedding, lighting, art and accessories national sales organization with showrooms in High Point and Las Vegas, to charter a Houston-based Dwell with Dignity chapter that will design and furnish 10 to 15 apartments in the Houston area. IMC is identifying appropriate aid-providing partnership organizations for relief efforts in Florida and Puerto Rico, and specifics will be announced in the near future.

Dwell with Dignity partners with the local design community to create complete home interiors for families who desperately need an environment that will support health and wellness. These turnkey homes include apartment-scaled furniture, art, bedding, linens, kitchen supplies, food in the pantry and their first night’s meal.

The Houston Furniture Bank is helping 70 families a day as they rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The most immediate needs are mattresses (primarily queen and full mattress sets and metal bed frames,) small sofas and loveseats, small kitchen tables and chairs, dressers. Companies wishing to donate directly to the Houston Furniture Bank may contact Oli Mohammed at 832-863-1996, or oli@houstonfurniturebank.org.

In addition to this emergency crisis response effort, IMC also has ongoing partnerships with both the American Cancer Society and A Simple Gesture food collection agency. For the last 13 years, volunteers from the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop at Smith Mountain Lake (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Discovery-Shop-at-Smith-Mountain-Lake/113339045346756) have used High Point Market samples to raise funds for cancer research and patient programs across the South Atlantic region. To arrange a pickup or for more information, contact Dee Kropf, market acquisition coordinator, (540) 814-8145 or dee@deearn.com.pi.

IMC also has an ongoing food collection partnership with A Simple Gesture (asimplegesturegso.org), which supports food banks and pantries in Guilford County, including the Greensboro and High Point areas. Throughout the year, IMC and its employees donate food to A Simple Gesture, and during Market, donors can deliver non-perishable food items to a collection box located in IHFC Main 905.

More about International Market Centers, L.P.: International Market Centers, L.P. (IMC) is the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. IMC owns and operates 12.2 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, N.C. and Las Vegas, including the 14 primary buildings at the High Point Market. In addition, IMC operates the Las Vegas Design Center, a year-round resource open to both the design trade and consumers with more than 40 showrooms and hundreds of designer brands. IMC’s mission is to build and operate an innovative, sustainable, profitable and scalable platform for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries.