The High Point Market in High Point, NC is filled with opportunity
The High Point Market (highpointmarket.org) is the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world. Twice a year, this event brings over 75,000 people to High Point, North Carolina. We’re talking interior designers, architects, home furnishings buyers, and other people in the furnishing industry. Obviously, if you’re a vendor, High Point is where you need to be, but it’s easy to get lost in the crowd.
We’re here to help you find ways to stand out.
The KazCM team had the chance to attend the High Point Market in the fall of 2017. We were there representing our client, Longleaf Collection. This company had been attending the market for many years, using the same strategy every year, networking and waiting for people to come to them. And while many people come to their great location at the market, they knew they could do more. While their hardware is beautiful and sells itself, we felt we could help drive more traffic to their booth. After exploring the market, we developed three strategies that successfully attracted potential clients to Longleaf’s wares.
You can adapt the same strategies, either for the High Point Market or for any analogous opportunity.
1. Utilize Social Media Tools
High Point Market’s organizers use social media to engage with attendees and to connect vendors to one another. However, after talking to many vendors, we realized that many were not using the social media tools provided to them. Picking up those tools—before, during, and especially after the event—opens up other strategies you can use to stand out.
2. Reach Out to Attendees
One way to get people to come by your booth is simply to invite them—search for designers and guests who are using the High Point Market hashtags (#HPMKT #HPMKT18) and locations, checking out their page to learn more about them and their work, and then invite the quality designers or potential clients to your booth to have a conversation.
3. Run a Contest
Who doesn’t love free stuff? Hosting a contest is easy, gets people engaged with your work, and gets them in the door. A contest or give-away need not be expensive—our client, Longleaf Collection, gave away free coffee to anybody who followed them on social media, for example. The promise of coffee brought attendees who had seen the posts about the booth—where Longleaf’s wonderful work could, as I said, sell itself.
High Point Market, Post Market
After the event ends, someone in your group (or a group you work with) should write about the experience at the High Point Market. Or talk about the experience (podcast or video). As attendees and other vendors research the market they may come across (because of your quality website SEO) your article, podcast or video on Google, YouTube or some other place. Thus making you a thought leader around the all important event that comes around twice a year.
The High Point Market thoroughly blew us away with the size of its crowds and its potential impact on any business in the furnishing industry. We are very lucky to have such an important event almost literally in our back yard.