85,708 registered for spring market
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, April 23, 2007
High Point — The High Point Market Authority said 85,708 badges were issued for the spring market, including 47,109 to buyers.
It was the second time the market has used a central registration system to issue badges. In October, the registration tally was 84,976.
After the spring 2006 market, organizers gave an attendance number of 100,126. But Brian Casey, president and CEO of the Market Authority, said that number wasn't comparable to this spring because central registration was not yet in use.
Casey said the Market Authority was "pleased on several fronts" with the latest numbers, "beginning with the number of international retailers represented in the final tally." He said 671 buying organizations with 1,685 buyers from outside the United States registered, with more than half the badges for international retailers going to companies in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Casey expects international interest to increase, especially with the market's new International Buyer Program designation by the U.S. Department of Commerce. That means the department will promote the event at its offices around the world.
In addition to the 47,109 buyer badges issued this spring, the Market Authority said 31,617 badges went to exhibitors and sales representatives, 5,433 to suppliers, 790 to market workers ranging from caterers to photographers, and 759 to students, guests and volunteers as day passes.
"Among the other statistics that we're particularly proud of this market is the number of new buying organizations that registered," said Casey. He said 2,285 buying entities that had not previously visited the market signed up for the spring event.
