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David Perry

Lifestyle smart to offer free airfare and hotels for January HP show

Could we be looking at the future of the High Point market?

Lifestyle, hosting its Forbidden City Furniture Show in High Point Jan 16-18, is making some savvy moves to drum up interest in its show.

Ads in Furniture/Today (those are my favorite kind, I have to admit) tout some tempting draws: Free air ticket, free hotel, free gift, and free BMW and Mercedes Benz.

Wow! Finally someone in High Point realizes how to draw retailers to market there.

Well, before we get too carried away here, we should mention some important disclaimers, which are noted in the ad. The free air ticket and free hotel offers apply to the first 500 qualified customers. But everyone gets a free car! NOT. (Hey, I was just checking to see if you were paying attention.) Actually, the disclaimer on the car giveaways is that one BMW and one Mercedes Benz will be offered as prizes in drawings at dinner parties. That’s a pretty strong encouragement to attend a dinner party.

The free hotel and airfare offers are strong ones. What company wouldn’t welcome 500 key retailers to its showroom?

The Forbidden City Furniture Show, which has attracted some other furniture exhibitors as well, is an interesting development. Could it usher in a return to the regional markets that High Point once hosted? Will it take some of the steam out of the Las Vegas market, which opens just a few weeks later? Lifestyle, it should be noted, elected not to return to Las Vegas for a second showing there.

Another intriguing question: Will Lifestyle hurt its April attendance with a strong High Point showing in January? The company will be introducing new products in April, but we have to wonder if some retailers will elect to skip Lifestyle in April.

We also wonder if the marketing efforts companies mount in January in High Point will take away some of the allure of High Point’s April market. Inquiring minds want to know. What do you think?  (to add public comments click on "Add your Comment" below, or to email Dave directly click here.)