Lifestyle Enterprise moves furniture show to Beijing
Will replace January event in High Point
Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, December 15, 2009
HIGH POINT — Case goods and upholstery resource Lifestyle Enterprise won't hold the annual Forbidden City show it has held here for four years, but plans an even larger event later in the year in Beijing - home of the original Forbidden City.
The company is finalizing details of the Beijing event, including the dates and venue.
However, officials do know that they plan to invite the company's top accounts for an event that covers about four days. As with the High Point show, the company would cover expenses such as airfare, meals and hotels. The Beijing event also will involve a major product launch that offers dealers a first look at new bedroom, casual dining and leather.
"We are basically taking it from High Point to China," said Lifestyle Enterprise President and CEO James Riddle. "We want to make sure it is the biggest and best show they have ever seen."
The company has held the Forbidden City show in High Point each January since 2006. Riddle said a number of dealers have been disappointed to find out the show is not planned for this year, but he expects they will be impressed with the Beijing event.
"We will have a bigger and better show in China than what we had in January," he said. "For us to ask people to go halfway around the world to see Lifestyle, it better be right."
Riddle also noted that canceling the January event allows the company to focus on shipping orders placed at the October High Point Market. This includes 12 new bedrooms, all of which are going into production. These cover a range of higher price points for Lifestyle, including several targeted to retail from $1,799 to $1,999.
"We want to get our arms around the business we got at the High Point Market, which was a great market for us," Riddle said. "We want to stay focused and make sure we get everything shipped in the line in time for Chinese New Year (Feb. 14)."
Lifestyle considered hosting the China event in Shanghai. But because many dealers already travel to furniture shows in Shanghai, the company decided to hold it somewhere different.
The host city for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing also is home to a number of tourist destinations including Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the former Chinese imperial palace complex.
Riddle said that additional details about the event will be available after the first of the year.
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