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Lifestyle expects mini-market crowd

Forbidden City show set for Jan. 15-17

Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, January 11, 2007

HIGH POINT -- They're coming here from as far away as Honolulu — again, says James Riddle, managing director of Lifestyle Enterprise.

Editor's Note: If you are planning to attend the Forbidden City Furniture Show, let us know. Furniture|Today is planning to publish a list of retailers that will be in High Point. Email your info to Editor in Chief Ray Allegrezza at rallegrezza@reedbusiness.com.

The importer is booking airline and hotel reservations here for retailers who want to attend the second Forbidden City Furniture Show, a mini-market set for Jan. 15-17. The event plays to Top 100 stores and container-only customers of the Asian case goods and leather upholstery marketer. Lifestyle reported registering just over 500 attendees for the first show this past January. The company is again planning to underwrite travel costs, which totaled several hundred thousand dollars last year, according to Riddle. After attending the first Las Vegas Market in July 2005, Lifestyle executives decided not to attend a second show and instead set out to hold their own show in High Point. The company paid to fly in and house a number of retailers. With buyers in town, more than 50 other manufacturers and importers also opened their showrooms. Some attendees said they could envision the show replacing the premarket held a month before High Point's semiannual show. The event also won praise for not having the crowds and inconveniences of a typical market in the city. Bob Roy, president of exhibitor Jofran, said he saw the benefit of opening his company's showroom because his Pacific Northwest sales rep said he would have five major retailers visiting the Lifestyle show. Jofran wound up seeing 19 retailers during last January’s event, more than it sees at High Point's premarket, Roy said. The company has prepared better for the show this year and will show product it wants to emphasize to retailers, he said. "One of management's jobs is to visit our major retailers when appropriate. When they are willing to visit us in our showroom, we both gain from having the product there," Roy said. Zahid Ali, vice president of two-store Miami retailer Ultimate Furniture, attended the Lifestyle show last year and said that, while he hasn't ruled the show out this year, he'll have to look at whether it fits in with his plans to reduce inventory by about half a million dollars before he relocates to a new, smaller store in mid 2007.
Ali said the Lifestyle event was the only furniture show he attended last year. Lifestyle’s Riddle said he expects a "couple hundred" people to attend. He said the company is starting to receive calls from other manufacturers hoping to have a captive audience during a non-market time in High Point. At press time, Lifestyle officials had not compiled a list of other manufacturers who would be open during its January show. Riddle said Lifestyle is still working out the details, but the show will have entertainment and dinners on Monday and Tuesday evening. The company has featured the event as a centerpiece of its advertising in recent weeks. Some ads have featured the famous photograph of U.S. Marines raising a flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima, with the slogan, "Together, We Shall Overcome!" Lifestyle Enterprise is building a $10 million office and showroom building in downtown High Point. The 110,000-square-foot facility, to be known as Forbidden City II, should be completed in time for the fall 2009 market.

Below is a listing of the companies that have let us know they will be open during Lifestyle's mini-market: (Updated Jan. 12th)

Affordable Furniture, 329 S. Main St.
American Drew, IHFC C-926
American Lighting and Furniture Group, 126 N. Centennial St.
Andrew Pearson Design 116 E Commerce Avenue
Baker Knapp & Tubbs, 319 N. Hamilton St.
Bernhardt, IHFC D-601
Capel Rugs, Market Square 112
Casana, 220 Elm 400
Carolina Mattress Guild, 385 North Drive and Business 85, Thomasville
Charleston Forge, 1690 English Road
Corinthian Inc., Furniture Plaza 312
Crown Mark, 134 S. Main St.
Comitia Molina International, 300 Oak St.
Cramco, 243 S. Main St. 1st Floor
Durham, Market Square 410
Elysee Collection, Hamilton Market 115
Embassy International, 110 W. Commerce Ave. lower level
FFDM, Union Square P302, Open by appointment
Feizy Rug, Market Square 145
Harbor Home, 220 Elm 106
Hammary, IHFC D-104
Hooker, IHFC W-1047
Howard Slavin & Son, 220 Elm 106
Huntington Furniture, 200 E. Green Drive
Istikbal / Sunset International Trade, Plaza Suites C 105 – 107
Jackson/Catnapper, IHFC W-348
Jofran, Plaza Suites C-109
J.T. Michael Designs, 325 E. Russell Ave. 105
Kincaid, IHFC H-1204
Largo, Center Theater Tower, 150 S. Main St. 100
Lea, IHFC C-934
Lee Furniture, 142 S. Main St.
Legacy Classic, Plaza Suites C-100
Legacy Traditions by Millenia USA, 156 South Main
Lifestyle Enterprise, 320 E. Commerce Ave.
Ligna USA, IFHC H-541
Ligo Products, National Furniture Mart 703
Luisana Designs and Antiques, 407 W. Green Drive
Manchester Furniture Group, 1515 W. Green Drive
Miresco Decorative Rugs, 305 N. Main St. 115
Natuzzi, 130 W. Commerce Ave.
New Generations, CenterPoint 203
Opus Designs, Plaza Suites 2-559
Orleans Furniture, 233 S. Main St. 3rd floor
Orville & Mead, Market Square 400
Pacifica Leather, 220 Elm 106
Pacific Rim, IHFC M-109
Palliser, 220 Elm 400
PAMA, Market Square 217
Pennsylvania House, IHFC C-700
PeopLoungers, National Furniture Mart 101
Pinewood Internat’l./NASA, 114½ S. Main St.
Prime Resources, 220 Elm 106
Primo Designs, CenterPoint on Manning 165
Randall Tysinger Antiques, 208 N. Elm St.
Rubelli, Furniture Plaza 215
Shermag, IHFC D-1220
Soft Line, 131 W. Commerce Ave.
Stratford Simmons, Furniture Plaza 615
Style-Line Furniture, 328 S. Main St.
Trade Masters, Natale Building, 400 W. English Road, first floor
United Furniture Inds., 134 N. Main St.
Vaughan-Bassett Furniture, IHFC C-1000
Vaughan Furniture, IHFC M-810
Welton USA, 247 S. Main St.
Whitewood Inds., 215 S. Main St.
Yorkshire House, 430 N. Wrenn St.

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