The High Point Market Authority announced today its Keynote Series lineup for fall market, Oct. 13-17, 2018.
This season’s educational series features industry favorites Sherwin-Williams and Fashion Snoops, Doug Stephens, The Retail Prophet and Dr. Andrew Dent, Executive VP of Research and Chief Material Scientist for Material ConneXion in three dynamic events. Each will share insights and business-building advice with High Point Market attendees.
Teaming up with multiple partners to produce the series, the sessions aim to enhance a buyer’s market experience with timely, relevant and forward-thinking topics. All sessions will take place in the High Point Theatre, conveniently located in the main Transportation Terminal, with doors opening 30 minutes prior to each session.
The first Keynote Series session will feature Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing for The Sherwin-Williams Company, and Jaye Anna Mize, VP of Home and Interiors for Fashion Snoops. Together, these trend-tracking mavens will examine the intricate world of color and trend forecasting and share insights into the macro trends that will impact home interiors in 2019, 2020 and beyond. Attendees will receive Sherwin-Williams’ newly released Colormix Forecast 2019. This session will take place on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 3 p.m.
Internationally renowned consumer futurist and best-selling author Doug Stephens, better known as The Retail Prophet, will take attendees on a tour of the future where every aspect of the retail experience will be radically transformed. Stephens will discuss what constitutes a truly remarkable customer experience and how retailers can create 1-to-1 intelligent journeys to deliver connected shopping experiences, whether online or in store, to secure their place in the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s consumer.
With over 20 years in the retail industry prior to founding The Retail Prophet, Stephens now serves some of the most recognized retailer and consumer brands in the world, including Disney, Walmart, BMW, Microsoft and Coca-Cola, among others. His unique perspectives on retailing, business and consumer behavior have been featured in many of the world’s leading publications and media outlets including The New York Times, The BBC, Bloomberg Business News, TechCrunch, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company.
This session is presented in partnership with the Home Furnishings Association (HFA) and sponsored by Synchrony Financial. It is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m. with a book signing to follow.
The Keynote Series will culminate with a discussion surrounding how touch and tangible interactions with our world are a bedrock to our connection with and understanding of it. Though people are living more of their lives online, the physical has never been more important, and the spaces they inhabit need to reflect this with touchable surfaces and inviting experiences. Dr. Andrew Dent, executive VP of research and chief material scientist for Material ConneXion, as well as sought-after TED Talk speaker, will examine the role materials play in the home environment and how innovations in the area of materials are creating a counterpoint to the sterile glass screens that occupy so much of our time. This session will take place on Monday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m.
Dent’s presentation will coincide with the launch of High Point’s newest year-round resource for the home furnishings industry, a Material ConneXion resource library. As the newest Material ConneXion library, and the largest library on the east coast beyond the NYC headquarters, the High Point location brings yet another innovative global resource to the epicenter of the home furnishings industry.
Launching at fall market and co-located with the curated design and craftsmanship exhibition Mill Collective in the Plant Seven building (formerly Union Square, located at 410 W. English Rd.), this addition to the market district is the leading international platform for material innovation and solutions. In addition to housing this library, Plant Seven’s multi-phase development will offer year-round co-working space for designers and makers, photography studios, special events and retail spaces, a restaurant, and more.
“The High Point Market Keynote Series is a valuable resource for attendees, offering relevant insights to help our buyers grow their own businesses,” commented Tom Conley, President and CEO of the High Point Market Authority. “This season’s keynote speakers have decades of experience to share, along with topics to inspire, encourage and educate.”
Information about the Keynote Series can be found online at www.highpointmarket.org.
