The High Point Market Authority (HPMA), organizers of the biannual home furnishings trade show High Point Market, is this year’s recipient of a North Carolina Travel Award issued by Visit NC, the state’s tourism marketing office and a division of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC).
Established in 2019, the Esse Quam Videri Award is inspired by the state motto for North Carolina, which translates “to be rather than to seem.”
The award recognizes leadership in the development or redevelopment of a transformational tourism asset in NC, with particular emphasis on redevelopment of an area that has fallen out of favor or struggled economically.
“This award celebrates the substance and spirit of esse quam videri, the achievement of results for the good of the state and the community. High Point Market fulfills this promise with its contributions to the North Carolina economy, the support of 42,000 jobs, and the generation of $202 million in state and local tax revenue,” said Wit Tuttell, Director of Visit North Carolina. “It’s important as well to recognize the Market’s value to tourism. The April and October editions attract tens of thousands of attendees from around the globe who fill 50,000 hotel rooms in the greater High Point area, dine at local restaurants, utilize North Carolina’s three major airports, and otherwise fuel the economy.”
Founded in 1909 in the Piedmont region of the state, High Point Market boasts almost 12 million square feet of showroom space, bringing together buyers and sellers of home furnishings products. The largest economic event in the state of North Carolina, a 2018 Duke University study estimated High Point Market’s annual economic impact at $6.73 billion.
The High Point Market Authority was formed in 2001 as the biannual trade show’s organizing body responsible for marketing, registration, transportation, official communication channels, media relations, logistics, and operations.
After canceling the spring 2020 event due to the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic, HPMA went to extraordinary lengths to implement health and safety measures that allowed markets to resume in the fall of 2020.
“For the vision, hard work and diligence of the High Point Market Authority, especially in the face of pandemic-related challenges, Visit NC extends its thanks with the Esse Quam Videri Award,” Tuttell added.
“On behalf of the entire team at the High Point Market Authority, it is an honor to be recognized for the special effort required during an extraordinary time in the trade show’s history,” says Tom Conley, HPMA President and CEO. “High Point Market is well-positioned to continue positively impacting North Carolina’s economy, just as it has for the past 113 years.”
At a luncheon event held on March 21 in conjunction with Visit NC’s 365 Conference at the Durham Convention Center, the award was presented to HPMA COO Tammy Covington Nagem, who has served on the HPMA staff since 2002.
Previous award recipients include Vivian Howard and Stephen Hill for their work in Kinston and Bill Carson for the Orchard at Altapass.
