High Point Showroom Competition Announced

October 5, 2008  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in High Point on October 2008 The High Point Market Authority on Friday invited exhibitors at this month’s High Point Market to submit their showroom presentations for 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,” said Brian 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 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, Oct. 21, beginning at 6 p.m., with competition winners recognized at 7 p.m. Winning entrants in each category will be presented with a 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 Web site as a resource for retailers following Market.

A 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, Oct. 20. No entries will be accepted after this deadline.