Market Authority Launches High Point "Market Scouts" Program

Furniture World Magazine

As part of its ongoing efforts to continuously improve the High Point Market experience for all constituents, the High Point Market Authority has joined forces with key High Point University educators in the Department of Home Furnishings & Design and the Earl N. Phillips School of Business to develop a new program designed to assist retail buyers and interior designers during Market. Called “Market Scouts,” the program trains High Point University (HPU) students interested in learning more about the High Point Market and the home furnishings business to work as guides or “scouts” during Market. Market attendees can book time with a Market Scout to help them more easily navigate the Market and/or identify new sources. There is no charge to the Market-goer for this new service. According to Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive of the High Point Market Authority, the program invites buyers and interior designers interested in the program to contact the Market Authority prior to Market. “When you call, we’ll ask you to identify a specific product category of interest, as well as a desired meeting time during Market,” Casey explains. “Once we’ve ascertained what you’re looking for, we’ll assign a Market Scout to be your liaison here at Market. Prior to your arrival, the Scout will research the product category you’re interested in and prepare a brief report for you featuring sources they have identified that they believe will most likely fulfill your needs. Upon your approval, the Scout will then prepare an itinerary that maps an efficient route between the showrooms featuring the products you’re seeking.” At a pre-arranged time, the buyer or interior designer will meet the Market Scout assigned to them at the Market Authority Information Booth (located in the downtown Transportation Terminal on Commerce). The Market Scout will then guide their Market guest along the showroom route they’ve prepared, personally accompanying them from showroom to showroom. Comments Dr. Richard R. Bennington, chair of the High Point University Home Furnishings and Design Department, “We hope that the Market Scout Program will be a win-win situation for Market visitors and our students. It will be a valuable experience for our students, in addition to helping Market visitors better organize their time in High Point.” Dr. Elizabeth Dull, Associate Professor of Interior Design at the University, adds, “Our students are looking forward to being Market Scouts because it will help them put to work what they have learned in the classroom. They have already been sourcing products for projects in a number of interior design and home furnishings classes. This experience will be a great opportunity for them to add to their knowledge.” Notes Casey, “We’re excited about the opportunity the students will enjoy and we expect this program to help make Market more manageable for buyers and designers new to High Point. With some 12 million square feet of showroom space, we know that the sheer size of Market can be daunting for many attendees. Like the Insider’s Guide Market directory that we launched at Market last Fall—which was created to help first-time visitors, small independents and interior designers more quickly identify the showrooms where they are most welcome—the Market Scouts program is designed to help Market attendees make the most efficient use of their time here.” Even so, you don’t have to be attending Market for the first time to benefit. “It’s not just first-time visitors that we aim to assist with this program,” Casey describes. “Market veterans who wish to seek out new resources, but who find themselves pressed for time, are welcome to use this new service as well. We often hear from leading buyers who tell us there’s just never enough time to see all that High Point Market has to offer. For them, booking time with a Market Scout will mean an extra set of eyes, ears and yes, legs, when the days at Market are jam-packed and buying teams are stretched thin.” Along with achieving its goal of becoming ever-more customer-centric, Casey expects the new program to offer very real benefits beyond Market-times to the industry as a whole. “The students participating in the Market Scouts program will be part of a unique, ongoing, elite real-world education experience that can only enhance their marketability with prospective employers in the home furnishings industry when the time comes to graduate and seek employment,” he says. “I believe that the energy, fresh perspective and sheer excitement they bring to the table is just the kind of forward momentum our industry needs.” Retailers and interior designers interested in reserving a time slot with a Market Scout for Spring Market should call the Market Authority at (336) 869-1000 ext. 227. “We expect this program to gain momentum and popularity very quickly, and for the Scouts’ time to book quickly. I would urge any retailer or designer interested in utilizing their services during Market to book early.” About the High Point Market Authority: The High Point Market Authority is the official sponsor of the High Point Market: The World’s Home for Home Furnishings. Featuring more than 2600 exhibitors and attracting tens of thousands of visitors from more than 110 countries, the High Point Market is the driving force of the home furnishings industry. About High Point University: High Point University is a liberal arts, coeducational university with three thousand students located in High Point, North Carolina. Its 75-acre campus is located approximately one mile from the center of the High Point Home Furnishings Market. Among its 50 undergraduate major areas of study are Home Furnishings Marketing and Interior Design. High Point University also offers Master’s degrees in six areas of study.