Expanded EcoStyle Pavilion To Host Party At Market Square

Furniture World Magazine

The EcoStyle Pavilion, launched last Spring as the first eco-friendly product showcase at any residential trade show, has expanded to 6500 square feet for the Fall High Point Market, October 1-7. The EcoStyle program at High Point Market, a cooperative effort between Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) and the Sustainable Furniture Council, consists of a product pavilion, a guide to “green” products at High Point Market, and a party to celebrate the importance of sustainability in the home furnishings industry. The EcoStyle Pavilion will again be located on the Top floor of the Suites at Market Square in the heart of the High Point Market. The pavilion will provide a centralized location for companies to showcase their eco-friendly products to buyers seeking sustainable home furnishings. Participants to date in the pavilion include Avangard Innovative, cmi - Colonial Mills, Inc., Directions East, Environment Furniture, Inc., Foamex International, From the Mountain, Harden Furniture Co., Prairie Rugs, Rainforest Alliance, South Cone Trading, and Sustainable Furniture Council. Each company will demonstrate in its own way how style and sustainability can and do co-exist. “The EcoStyle Pavilion is an important and growing feature of our Suites at Market Square building and the High Point Market in general,” said Karen Olson, vice president of marketing for MMPI. “More and more consumers are becoming aware of the importance of sustainability and are making lifestyle choices to minimize their impact on the environment. This consumer demand is driving more and more buyers at High Point Market to specifically seek out earth-friendly products.” “We were thrilled when MMPI approached us before the last High Point Market to build the first eco-friendly home furnishings pavilion for the residential market,” said Gerry Cooklin, founder and CEO of South Cone Trading Company and president of the Sustainable Furniture Council. “The reaction we have had since then has been overwhelming, and we are looking forward to expanding our efforts at the Fall High Point Market.” “Since the Spring High Point Market, our membership has grown from 43 members to 85 members,” added Susan Inglis, president of From the Mountain and treasurer of the Sustainable Furniture Council. “We truly feel we are reaching the industry in a substantive way and are building awareness for a critical issue facing us all.” MMPI and the Sustainable Furniture Council will again produce the EcoStyle Map to help buyers find green products at High Point Market. There will also be a party in the Century Courtyard in Market Square on Thursday, October 5 to celebrate the importance of green in the residential home furnishings industry. Retailers, such as Dennis Rose of Eclectic Home, expressed their excitement about the first program to guide buyers in sourcing eco-friendly products in the home furnishings industry. “I think it is great that Merchandise Mart Properties and the High Point Market are on the forefront of introducing this new category and bringing to light the importance of sustainability in the home furnishings industry,” said Rose. “And, organizing vendors in one area certainly makes it easier for buyers.” Buyers may shop the EcoStyle pavilion throughout the Fall High Point Market that runs, Monday, October 1 through Sunday, October 7. High Point Market is the home for home furnishings, said Olson, and now it is also the home for “green” home furnishings as well.” Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) is a trade show and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space. MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year. MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart and 350 West Mart Center in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the Boston Design Center in Boston; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center and Federal Center Southwest in Washington, D.C. Vornado Realty Trust, owner of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO. The Sustainable Furniture Council is a non-profit industry association committed to promoting sustainable practices within the home furnishings industry and raising awareness among consumers and buyers. They believe that sustainable practices are those that are best for the environment, local economies and social equity. The first meeting of the Sustainable Furniture Council was held at the October 2005 High Point Market.