IMC Spotlights Lighting at Spring Market with “Illuminate High Point Market” Guide

March 16, 2022  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

“Growth in fixed-wire lighting resources and an increased interest in the impact of lighting on health and well-being has made High Point Market a key destination for retailers and designers to source in this category,” said Dorothy Belshaw, IMC executive vice president, chief customer and marketing officer. “Through the Illuminate High Point Market guide, we are facilitating connections between buyers and brands looking to build new relationships within the lighting category.”

The Illuminate High Point Market guide will be available in the lobbies of IMC’s 17 High Point properties as a “passport” for buyers looking to find lighting resources. It features these 17 participating companies:

• Cal Lighting & Accessories – IHFC - H432, Hamilton, Floor 4
• Currey & Co. – IHFC - M110, Main, Floor 1
• Crystorama – IHFC - H241, Hamilton, Floor 2
• Elk Home – IHFC - C403, Commerce, Floor 4
• Fine Art Handcrafted Lamps – IHFC - C229, Commerce, Floor 2
• Finesse Lighting – Market Square - 288, Floor 2
• FlowDecor – IHFC - IH612, Commerce, Floor 1
• Hinkley Lighting – Market Square - 290, Floor 2
• Hubbardton Forge – IHFC - IH211, Hamilton, Floor 1
• Hudson Valley Lighting – Market Square - M70, M90, M97, M99, Mezzanine
• Kalco Lighting – IHFC - H232, Hamilton, Floor 2
• Koncept – IHFC - H431, Hamilton, Floor 4
• Lite Source – IHFC - H437, Hamilton, Floor 4
• Regina Andrew – IHFC IH006, Commerce, Floor 1
• Robert Abbey – IHFC - W244, Wrenn, Floor 2
• Schonbek – Suites At Market Square - M-1000A, M-1000B, Mezzanine
• Varaluz – Market Square - 204, Floor 2

Some showrooms in the Illuminate High Point Market guide are planning education, special events or hospitality for buyers. Fine Art Handcrafted Lamps presents a CEU “Defining Luxury Lighting - Illuminating the Difference” exploring the importance of lighting and the impact it has on design on Sunday, April 3 at 10:30 a.m. (registration is required at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ceu-defining-luxury-lighting-illuminating-the-difference-tickets-145110372029 ).

Events include the “Elk Home Party at High Point Market” with live music and cocktails on Sunday, April 3, 3-6 p.m.; Finesse Lighting’s “Spark and Shop Happy Hour” with 25% off coupons for orders placed during the event on Sunday, April 3, 5- 6:30 p.m.; Hinkley Lighting’s “100th Anniversary Happy Hour” with DJ, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on Sunday, April 3, 3-6 p.m.; and the “Salsa Demonstration with Jorge” featuring Veraluz co-founder Jorge Hernandez Carillo making his family’s secret salsa recipe with a tasting of 40+ selections of tequila on Saturday, April 2, 2-4 p.m. Additionally, Currey & Co. will serve light breakfast, boxed lunches, appetizers and drinks throughout the market; Hubbardton Forge will host daily happy hours on Friday, April 1 – Monday, April 4 beginning at 4 p.m.; and Lite Source will serve drinks and hors d’oeuvres throughout the market.

The Illuminate High Point Market guide comes as designers, retailers and consumers are taking more interest in the impact of lighting on people and the environment. Maria Mullen, CEO at Hubbardton Forge explained, “There's a real movement to understand how light affects health and mood and as that becomes more understood, lighting becomes more and more important. Everyone can admire a beautiful dining room chandelier or pendants over a kitchen island, but now they are starting to understand that the right color temperatures, the right light output and the change of light during the day and night have an impact on the body and the spirit.” Additionally, time spent at home during the pandemic has made consumers reevaluate their home lighting, driving sales of new fixtures according to Mullen.

IMC has rapidly expanded its fixed-wire lighting resources in High Point in the past year with 170+ showrooms, including Kalco Lighting, Lite Source and Schonbek which debut at the 2022 Spring Market. At High Point Market, the fixed-wire lighting resources are interspersed with thousands of other complementary home décor lines to maximize cross-category buying. The Illuminate High Point Market guide is the start of light-focused emphasis and education IMC has planned for its markets and throughout the year. A full list of IMC lighting exhibitors is available here.