The High Point Market Authority’s Executive Committee has announced that President & CEO Brian Casey has accepted another position and is leaving the HPMA, effective April 30. Casey has held the position since 2006. The HPMA executive committee will oversee the immediate search for Casey’s replacement.
“As we embark on this new beginning for the Market Authority, the executive committee believes the future of the billion-dollar High Point Market is bright, and that the importance of a strong and independent Market Authority has never been more critical,” says HPMA Chairman Kevin O’Connor, who also heads Samson Marketing. “I would like to thank Brian Casey for the work he has done over the last five years. He has been a tireless advocate for furthering the brand of the High Point Market and we wish him all the best for his future endeavors. We have built a strong group in the Market Authority staff and its board, and we are prepared for an exceptional April Market with Brian and with Senior Vice President Tammy Nagem handling the day-to-day operations.”
Brian Casey adds, “This is a career move and a unique opportunity for me. My tenure at the Market Authority has been one of the best experiences in my overall professional career. I can only attribute that to the great staff and Board, a supportive community, and industry leaders who will continue to keep this Market strong.”
O’Connor says that the three pillars of the HPMA board – Exhibitors, Buildings, Community – are equally committed to the success of the Market and the strength of the Market Authority. “There have been incredible accomplishments and improvements in the High Point Market, particularly in the last five years,” O’Connor says. “The priority of the Market Authority when Brian Casey came here was to defend the High Point Market as the premier furniture trade show in the world. We have not only met that goal, but the buyers have voted for this market with their attendance and the exhibitors with their dollars.
“Today, this is a different industry and a different world with new challenges. As we move forward, our objective is to continue to develop the High Point Market, to make it even better, and to expand it in its role as the world’s home for home furnishings. We are well staffed and well organized to move forward,” says O’Connor.
Doug Bassett, Vice Chairman of the Market Authority and COO of Vaughan-Bassett, agrees: “As a long-time exhibitor at the High Point Market, we have seen dramatically improved services here in High Point in the last few years. The High Point Market has given us an incredible return on our investment, with our best traffic in years at the last two Markets in particular. The entire staff of the Market Authority has worked tirelessly to deliver a better and more successful market each year.”
O’Connor adds, “What makes the High Point Market so strong is the collaborative effort of the buildings, exhibitors, and community. No other market operates in this way and it is key to why this Market is so strong. Therefore, we have no intention of changing the collaborative nature of how we run the High Point Market.”
“The IHFC is strongly committed to the Market Authority,” says Tom Mitchell, HPMA executive committee member, and president and CEO of the International Home Furnishings Center. “Its work to make the High Point Market the best experience possible for the buyers and sellers who do business here is invaluable.”
High Point Mayor Becky Smothers, who is also a member of the Market Authority’s executive committee, says, “The High Point Market is one of this city’s most important economic assets, with an $8 billion dollar impact statewide. We all take pride in this Market, not only for what it represents, but for what it provides our community and the state of North Carolina. It is a precious economic asset that is recognized as the premier international event for the home furnishings industry, an achievement that has evolved over the Market’s 100-plus year history.”
About the High Point Market Authority: The High Point Market Authority, www.highpointmarket.org, is the official sponsor of the High Point Market in High Point, N.C. Featuring an extensive selection of exhibitors spanning every category, style, and price point and attracting tens of thousands of visitors from more than 106 countries twice each year, the High Point Market is the driving force of the home furnishings industry.