Furnishing Home International Market

The High Point Market , held in High Point, North Carolina, is the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world, measuring 11.5 million square feet (1 km²) encompassed in about 190 buildings throughout the area. The market holds two major shows each year, one in April and another in October, each show runs for 10 days.

History

The first formal Southern Furniture Market was held in High Point March 1-15, 1909. In 1921, the Southern Furniture Exposition Building opened for its first show June 20. Built in 19 months, the showroom cost about $1 million and held 249,000 square feet (23,100 m ² ) of exhibition space. Regular shows were held in January and July. With the exception of 1943, the market was put on hold from 1941 until the end of World War II.

The Wrenn Wing was added to the Southern Furniture Exposition Building in 1950. The center's fourth expansion is connected to older parts of the building by glass walkways over Wrenn Street. During the 1950s, informal "in-between" markets began to emerge, hosting visitors in April and October. The main markets were still held in January and July.

The size and scope of the mid-season marketing April and October begin to surpass the January and July shows in the 1960s. Showrooms other than the Southern Furniture Exposition Building gained stature, both in size and importance. In 1980, organizers in Dallas make a bid to host the major national home furnishings market. In 1982, the January and July shows were discontinued, leaving the April and October shows.

The Southern Furniture Market was renamed the International Home Furnishings Market in 1989. High Point's largest showroom, the Southern Furniture Exposition Building, changed its name to the International Home Furnishings Center, or IHFC. With nearly 7,000,000 square feet (650,000 m ² ) of furniture showroom space already available around the city a decade-long showroom building boom began. In the 1990s, a construction boom added an additional 3,000,000 square feet (279,000 m ² ) of showrooms to High Point. Showroom expansion continued in 2000, with the addition of new temporary exhibit spaces: The Suites at Market Square and Showplace.

A year later. the 12th floor of the IHFC opened, giving the building 3,500,000 square feet (325,000 m ² ) of space, more than 14 times its original size. Market organizers estimated about 80,000 visitors on average attend the April and October Markets. In 2001, organizers announced the formation of the High Point International Home Furnishings Market Authority Corp. In 2002, the authority approached the N.C. General Assembly for the first time in its history seeking state support for the trade show. The Market was shortened by a half-day to open on a Thursday and close the following Wednesday.

In 2003, The Market Authority begins a scaled down version of shuttle service. The N.C. Department of Transportation set aside $900,000 for each of the next two years so the Authority could offer free shuttles to and from 100 hotels and the Piedmont Triad International Airport. The Market currently had about 3,000 exhibitors, 11,500,000 square feet (1,070,000 m ² ) of showroom space, 188 buildings and approximately 70,000 - 80,000 attendees each Market. In 2005, a new transportation terminal opens in downtown High Point and the market grows by 187,500 square feet (17,420 m ² ) as five new showrooms are opened. The next year, Judy Mendenhall, the Market Authority's first president retired and the city of High Point renamed the new transportation terminal the Mendenhall Transportation Center.

External links

• Market Authority site

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IHFM

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