IHFC Building To Create Open-Air Venue For Decorative Accessories

Furniture World Magazine

The High Point, NC IHFC building complex announced that it is transforming 40,000 square feet of third-floor real estate into Pavilions on 3, featuring temporary showcases for exhibitors of decorative accessories and home accents in a dramatic, innovative Soho-style environment. The concept was so popular that spaces were leased within a day after they became available. Debuting at the April High Point Market, Pavilions on 3 will be the High Point Market home to 35 companies new to IHFC in spaces from 300 to 1,500 square feet. The massive renovation project, inspired by the success and ever-increasing popularity of IHFC's InterHall, will replace the conventional corridors on Main Wing's third floor with a vibrant, open atmosphere reminiscent of a 1920s bohemian street scene, complete with winding cobblestone lanes. In addition, across the bridge connecting Main's third floor with the Wrenn and Green Wings, IHFC is making another 40,000 square feet available to exhibitors of decorative accessories and home accents who prefer permanent showrooms. Leasing has also been brisk for the new permanent accessory showrooms in Wrenn and Green. Altogether, these changes make IHFC's floors 2, 3 and 4 by far the largest concentration of accessories and accent furniture in the marketplace. These showrooms will also debut at the April market. "The quick and overwhelming response confirms the demand for space from exhibitors eager to showcase their innovative merchandise in a premier location with strong buyer traffic," said Tom Lindh, IHFC president and chief executive officer. IHFC is sparing no expense to create an environment unprecedented at home furnishings trade shows. Beyond the winding cobblestone lanes connecting exhibitors in semi-public spaces, Pavilions on 3 will feature a restaurant, bistro/cappuccino bar, 10-foot bronze fountain splashing into a marble pool, hanging antique streetlamps, live trees in planters and aged columns complete with peeling plaster. "We want to create an environment that everyone at market wants to experience," Lindh says. "We're pulling out all the stops to create a chorus of 'Wows!' on the third floor in April." Opening in 1921, IHFC was the original showroom building in High Point and after 85 years of expansion remains the centerpiece of the world’s largest home-furnishings trade show that attracts more than 90,000 participants twice a year to 2,600 showrooms covering 11.5 million square feet. IHFC alone is home to 650 of the leading home-furnishings manufacturers, including 13 of the top 20 companies, and covers 3.5 million square feet.