HPSA aims to make High Point a year-round center
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, December 22, 2003
High Point — The High Point Showroom Assn. is forming a board of directors as it steps up its effort to build High Point into a year-round design center.
The 11-member board will be made up of showroom owners and operators, interior designers, fabric industry officials and others who support the trade such as representatives of furniture carriers and packing companies.
It also will likely include liaisons from the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau and businesses such as local hotels and restaurants.
For nearly 20 years, the association has pursued a mission to open High Point furniture showrooms to the interior design trade in the months between the semiannual International Home Furnishings Markets.
"We just know there is a huge amount of business because of that," said Jeanne Glenn, a member of the High Point Showroom Assn.
By creating a board — which will be introduced at a press conference Jan. 15 — the association hopes to marshal industry talent to encourage more showroom owners to keep their doors open to designers. The association currently has 40 showroom members and hopes to double that in 2004.
"Our ultimate goal is to turn High Point into a true design center," Glenn said. "We recognize the fact that we have more (design) resources than any other city in the country and it seems absurd we haven't done this before now."
Adding members will allow the group to add names to a directory it calls the High Point Designers Comfort Zone. The chair-shaped booklet was first produced last April and went to about 4,700 designers along the eastern seaboard. The association wants to send a second edition this coming April to even more designers, particularly in markets such as Atlanta, New York and south Florida.
Showrooms generally are limited to the design trade and the association doesn't imply the buildings are open to the public. The group doesn't want the effort to compete with furniture retailers.
As it gears up, the association, which has been run by volunteers, may hire a part-time employee to coordinate its activities. Another goal is to create a Web site where members can view up-to-date information about new members, upcoming sales, and educational events and activities.
The Web site and part-time position could be funded with membership revenues and revenues from the sale of ads in the membership directory.
Because fabric is essential to the design process, the association also wants to create a one-stop fabric showroom.
Many of those familiar with the plans are optimistic that High Point can become a true, year-round design center.
"It's a good idea that has been around for a long time and I think it's going to bear fruit," said Latimer Alexander, a City Council member and owner of wholesale upholstery fabric distributor Latimer Alexander Inc.
Ron Stephens, vice president and director of sales and marketing for the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau, said his organization provided grant money for the membership directory and plans to stay involved in finding ways to make the city an easy place for designers to visit and shop.
"The project is very exciting to the CVB because it does what our mission points us toward, which is to bring people to High Point when the market is not in town," Stephens said.
"We want to fill the hotels and restaurants and have an impact on the tourism industry so it is strong when our other major customer is not in town, which is the furniture market."
