High Point Market Authority Announces Showroom Display & Merchandising Competition

Furniture World Magazine

The High Point Market Authority announced that it is inviting Market exhibitors to show off their showroom displays and great merchandising ideas in the second annual High Point Market Showroom Display and Merchandising Ideas Competition. All companies exhibiting at the Fall 2008 High Point Market are eligible and invited to enter the competition, designed to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary showroom presentations created by Market’s exhibitors. “We instituted this very special event to celebrate the extraordinary creativity and inventiveness of our exhibitors,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority. “For years, designers and retailers have known that the High Point Market is the place where trends begin—and a great place to discover fresh, new merchandising ideas. The showrooms at the High Point Market are unlike any other in the world so this is really the only place an event like this can be held. By showcasing and honoring our exhibitors in this way, we hope to provide retailers with a source of ideas, inspiration and techniques that they can use on their floors throughout the year as they work to deliver the ultimate shopping experience to their customers.” The Fall 2008 Showroom Competition offers Market’s exhibitors an opportunity to showcase their ideas in one of the following categories: Visual Appeal; Creativity; Elements and Principles of Design; Retail Application; and Consumer allure. Additionally, in recognition of one of the industry’s most important trends, this year’s Competition adds a new standard of excellence: Sustainability. The Competition will culminate in a gala reception for retailers, designers and exhibitors under the tent in the Century Courtyard at Market Square on Tuesday evening, October 21, 2008, beginning at 6 p.m., with competition winners recognized at 7 p.m. Winning entrants in each category will be presented with an exquisite crystal trophy cup for display in their showroom, showcased on “High Point Market Live,” highlighted in Market’s press materials and featured on the High Point Market website as a resource for retailers following Market. An esteemed panel of editors representing both domestic and international publications will serve as judges for the competition, including Takayoshi Nagashima, The Home Living, Japan; Sylvia Khan, Index Furniture Journal, India; Mark McMenamin, Interior Design; and Sheila Long O’Mara, Home Furnishings Business. Judging will be led by Jane Matteson, executive director of the American Society of Furniture Designers. Competition details, official rules, criteria for judging, and instructions for submissions are available now at www.highpointmarket.org/competition. All entries must be made through the website and received before 10 a.m. on Monday, October 20, Opening Day of Market. No entries will be accepted after this deadline. About the High Point Market Authority: 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 tens of thousands of visitors from more than 110 countries twice each year, the High Point Market is the driving force of the home furnishings industry.