The High Point Market Premarket Committee is expanding its invite list for next week’s Premarket event, scheduled for March 16-17, and has secured an additional 50 room nights for home furnishings retailers that are interested in attending, pending approval by one of the sponsoring committee members.
All 17 sponsoring companies are extending their showroom hours to include all day Monday, March 16, and Tuesday, March 17. Some will also welcome Premarket attendees into their showrooms on Sunday, but attendees should confirm hours with each individual exhibitor in advance.
“Because of the uncertainties created by the coronavirus (COVID-19), committee members are seeing increased interest in Premarket attendance from many of our dealers,” said Doug Bassett, chairman of the Premarket Committee and president of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture. “We want to accommodate as many companies interested in seeing our sponsors as possible, so we have taken the unprecedented step of authorizing 50 additional rooms nights, which could cost each sponsor over $1,000 each.”
“We are also inviting any qualifying new attendee to our Monday night reception,” Bassett added. “We hope these additional steps will help satisfy the unusual increase in demand to attend Premarket.”
To qualify for approval to attend, home furnishings retailers must be within a five-hour drive of High Point, NC, or a one to two-hour direct flight. Those interested in seeking approval should contact their sales rep or the sales management team of one of the Premarket sponsors. Dealers located within one hour’s drive of High Point will not qualify for a free hotel room, but can still qualify to visit the showrooms and attend the Monday night reception.
Sponsoring exhibitors for spring 2020 include:
- A.R.T. Furniture, Inc.
- Aspenhome
- Austin Group Furniture
- Avalon Furniture
- Bernhardt Furniture
- Hillsdale Furniture
- Hooker Furniture
- La-Z-Boy Casegoods Divisions
- Leather Italia USA
- Legacy Classic Furniture
- New Classic Furniture
- Pulaski Furniture
- Riverside Furniture
- Samuel Lawrence Furniture
- Universal Furniture
- Vanguard Furniture
- Vaughan-Bassett Furniture
Premarket takes place each spring and fall, about 6 weeks in advance of High Point Market. Each sponsoring exhibitor commits to providing a near market-ready amount of product. They also pool resources to bring selected retailers for a preview of goods and the opportunity for final tweaking of product details. The event is organized by a committee of sponsoring showrooms, who then contracts with the High Point Market Authority to provide strategic direction, staffing and logistical support.
