Registrations down 1% at High Point Market
Organizers say 83,973 badges were issued
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, October 11, 2007
HIGH POINT — The High Point Market Authority said nearly 84,000 people were issued badges for last week’s furniture market, a decrease of about 1% from the fall market in 2006.
The group said total registrations of 83,973 included 47,441 buyers and 29,115 exhibitors and sales representatives.
The October 2006 market had total registrations of 84,976, including 44,519 buyers.
Market Authority President Brian Casey said he was especially pleased with the number of buyers registering for the first time. Registration figures showed that 4,625 buyers were first-time visitors, and another 3,030 had not registered in at least two years. He said those numbers represented increases from a year ago.
Casey said the uptick in first-time and returning visitors shows that the Market Authority’s outreach and re-branding efforts are working, and that many decided to return to High Point because of the changes and improvements the group has implemented.
The registration total also includes 5,660 industry passes for suppliers, 487 for market workers such as caterers and photographers, and 1,271 day passes for students, guests and market volunteers.
The total doesn’t include approximately 450 press badges issued through the American Home Furnishings Alliance, which operates the market’s press room.
