Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Registrations up for Tupelo Market
August 8,
2014 by in Market, Tupelo 
Pre-registrations for attendance at the August 14-17 Tupelo Furniture Market have exceeded both of its two previous events.
Of particular import is the number of new and foreign retailers choosing Tupelo as as a venue for purchasing furniture and furniture accessories, according to organizers.
“We are exactly where we expected to be and extremely satisfied with the results of our marketing efforts and our overall numbers thus far, said Kevin Seddon, president of Tupelo Market. “After our last event in February, we performed a thorough review of our customer data bases, identified areas in which we wanted to improve, and developed a focused plan, specific objectives and tactics that would increase our effectiveness in these areas. However, the results have still been somewhat surprising.”
The surprise is the total number of new retailers that have registered for the event and from where they hail. Seddon said that 32 percent of those registered have never attended the market or have not done so in several years. In addition, retailers from more than 10 other countries also have registered for the market, something that has not happened in awhile.
“We knew we would increase our attendance from key states we targeted. We also were confident we would increase the number of retailers that we consider mid- and high-volume sales revenue producers,” Seddon said. “What surprised us was the number of new retailers that registered for this fall’s market, and the fact that we were able to have an immediate impact on international accounts.”
According to Barbara Garrison, the market’s director of buyer recruitment, attracting new retailers to the Tupelo Furniture market is a top priority.
“Every show producer wants a lot of people walking their exhibit hall,” said Garrison. “However, new buyers generate new sales and that’s what companies showing product want to see more of. We are pleased with our initial success and look forward to it benefitting the companies that exhibit with us.”
Garrison said that 400-plus companies and brands will fill the 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space at the August event in Tupelo, Mississippi. She added that more than 170 of the companies exhibiting plan to offer “Tupelo Only Specials” for all buyers that order products on-site during the show dates.