Rep Ambassadors Get More Retailers to Attend High Point Market
Furniture World Magazine
on
10/15/2009
When Market opens this weekend, the High Point Market Authority says it expects to see many new buyers among the crowds, as well as retailers who have not visited High Point for a number of Markets, thanks in part to the work of the IHFRA/High Point Market Rep Ambassadors.
“Our Rep Ambassadors are helping us make a difference,” Casey says. “Their work, meeting one-on-one with retailers across the country to talk about all the positive changes that have been occurring here and encouraging them to attend Market, is paying off this week. These champions of our Market—all of whom are volunteers and are not compensated by the High Point Market Authority for their work on behalf of the Market—truly understand what the Market means to our industry. Their vision, commitment, and ability to personally connect with our customers to communicate our story, has been an invaluable service that benefits everyone connected to this Market.”
“We’re finding that people are very excited about the fact that High Point really took a hard look at itself and discovered that it needed to make people feel like they are more welcome, and to make the High Point Market a better place to shop, work and stay,” says Rep Ambassador Matthew (Matt) Keepers, CHR, who represents Hooker Furniture, Bradington Young and Sam Moore in Texas. “Customers are finally realizing that the Market has really been making an effort to make things more accessible and customer friendly, from wonderful programs like the Go-Anywhere shuttles that help them get around, to the free concierge services that help them find affordable accommodations. Those kinds of things really do make a difference to our dealers.
“People come to High Point when they are serious about their business and their livelihood,” Keepers continues. “It’s a given that the top dealers are here, but we also like to see a nice cross-section our middle-market dealers, the core of my territory. More of them are now coming back to High Point because of the initiatives that the High Point Market Authority has put in place.”
Don Deeds, a sales representative for Broyhill Furniture who covers the Southern California region, says, “In speaking with retailers throughout the summer about the advantages of coming to High Point, my goal for current and prospective dealers has been to help them understand the value of seeing the greatly expanded presentations that High Point offers. High Point is the show of shows, and the scale of the showrooms here provides a much better sense of what a company is all about. In my opinion, everybody in this industry needs to take advantage of every opportunity available now, and High Point is the place that offers all those opportunities, and on a much grander scale than anywhere else.”
The High Point Market Authority is the official sponsor of the High Point Market in High Point, North Carolina. Featuring an extensive selection of exhibitors spanning every category, style and price point and attracting thousands of visitors from more than 110 countries twice each year, the High Point Market is the driving force of the home furnishings industry.