Now marking its 20th year, the IHFC building noted that "InterHall at the IHFC has earned the reputation for being THE destination at High Point Market to see what's new, what's hot and what will be the next big trend." To commemorate InterHall's milestone, the IHFC plans a 20th anniversary celebration for Sunday, October 17 at 5:30 P.M. This, in addition to the InterHall martini parties, will celebrate the most innovative and exciting ideas in home furnishings.
Gaye Outlaw, Director of InterHall Leasing for the IHFC said "InterHall is the highest traffic destination in High Point. Buyers, designers and media flock to InterHall for one main reason…to find the Next Big Thing. It has earned its reputation as the first choice for dynamic companies seeking the best address in High Point.”
"We feel really lucky to be there,” said Tiffany Slater, Director of Sales for Barclay Butera. “When InterHall developed permanent spaces on the perimeter, we were thrilled to be invited. It is where we want to remain.” While Barclay Butera is a well-established manufacturer of upholstery, case goods, accessories, pillows and art, the company likes the environment of new and up-and-coming companies that InterHall provides, which explains the Barclay Butera’s eight-year presence in InterHall. “We fit because we keep our line so fresh and change our look so consistently,” Slater emphasized.
For some companies at Market, InterHall often represents a sort of promised land. Said Luca Rensi of Bungalow 5: “When Bungalow 5 first came to High Point, we rented a small space at an alternate site and would walk InterHall jealously eyeing the exhibitors who had been selected. It was clearly the coolest club around; it had the traffic, it had the buyers, it had the vibe. It’s head and shoulders above the other venues we’ve used. It’s run professionally - the staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and it’s still ‘the place to be’. Rensi would counsel new buyers who have never experienced InterHall to “make it their first stop. InterHall is a sampling of the best High Point has to offer … like the tasting menu at a fine restaurant.”
Whatever acclaim InterHall enjoys today, back in the Fall of 1990 it was new concept. “We didn't know what to expect,” said Emilio Mila, founder of Mila Brown. “We had been in Market Square and were told of this new thing at the IHFC.” Mila, intrigued, moved his company into this new venue and, “the exposure was fantastic – it put us on the map,” he said. After three markets, his line and his customer base had grown and the IHFC invited Mila Brown to move upstairs into permanent space, where they remain today.
By the Spring of 1991 the word was out on InterHall. “We were thrilled when the IHFC asked us to be a part of InterHall,” said Greg Bauman of The Van Cleve Collection, which made its InterHall debut that April. “We were also a little nervous. We knew we had to step up to the plate and make a great presentation. Our company had been showing in Market Square for a few years near the old Boiler Room Bar … a good spot and at the time perhaps one of the few locations for temporary exhibitors. We had a great product and did very well there but we knew the IHFC building was the place to be.
“IHFC had a keen eye for product and merchandising and saw that we offered something unique — higher-end decorative accessories from the Orient,” Bauman continued. “After a couple of markets in InterHall, the IHFC offered us a permanent showroom. Twenty years later The Van Cleve Collection continues to represent unique artists and small kilns throughout the Orient.”