A self-contained videotaping booth called “Tell Us Your Story” will debut on April 12 at the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame during the April High Point Market.
One of three new permanent exhibits and two new traveling exhibits, the new exhibit captures the stories and ideas surrounding the dynamic world of home furnishings, of the industry and consumers.
“Everyone loves a good story,” says Karen McNeill, CEO and chairman of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors. “As a profession focused on creating beautiful living environments, we want to share the memories and ideas of our guests and what makes this industry so special. Whether the comments are suggestions or stories that are touching, humorous or even quirky, we’re asking visitors to tell us what their furnishings — or the home furnishings industry — means to them. Together, we can preserve the unique spirit of what each of us calls home and the dynamic industry that furnishes it.”
Tell Us Your Story features easy-to-use technology that enables visitors to sit down, answer a few questions and record a memory, idea or inspiration relating to home furnishings and the role furniture and decorative accessories play in their lives. The booth Is self-contained and includes taping and editing capabilities so that visitors can record and review their messages.
Consumers will be asked questions like: What piece of furniture or home accent from your childhood holds the most memories? If you were moving to a desert island, what one home furnishings item would you take? What does your home mean to you? What is your favorite room, and why?
Industry members from all segments and all roles will explore questions like: What is your job and why do you like it? Why would you recommend this job to others? What is your favorite memory from your first home furnishings market? What do you love most about working in the home furnishings industry?
Visitors can explore the recorded memories and insights of other participants on a screen on the front of the booth, enabling stories to be easily shared and enjoyed.
To create more awareness of the many rewarding career opportunities available within home furnishings, the Hall of Fame will be able to create a new consumer-oriented website, where industry members will share their views on their jobs and their profession. The site will feature a range of content, including Q&As and other resources designed to help visitors better understand the wide variety of career paths available within the home furnishings industry.
“Our goal with this new consumer site is to attract new talent to our industry,” McNeill says. “Home furnishings aren’t often top-of-mind when it comes to choosing a career since it doesn’t have a high profile like the technology sector and some other professions. But when you look at home furnishings more closely, you see just how rich an opportunity it represents, with an abundance of exciting options across a wide range of disciplines, from tech, manufacturing and logistics to design, sales and marketing.”
There’s a myriad of career paths in the $150 billion world of home furnishings, McNeill adds — “and this new website will share that story with a much larger audience.”
