My Seasonal Side Gig at High Point Furniture Market
For those of you who are local, I have no doubt that you’ve heard of the High Point Furniture Market.
Growing up I always heard references to Market and people who would go to shop, work, or look around at all the pretty, new things hitting the furniture industry for the new season. Even for those locals who don’t fully know what the Market is about, you at least know not to travel down Main Street in High Point due to the incredible excess in traffic.
Local or not, there are sure to be people from all over familiar with the Market, because it is such an important part of the worldwide furniture industry. Basically, Furniture Market completely takes over downtown High Point twice a year in the spring and fall. Furniture companies from all over the world, large and small, well-known and new, come to set up showrooms of their new items that will be available to the public for the upcoming season. If you are a buyer, this is where you place orders for your upcoming new inventory.
Furniture Market was something I’d always been interested in and I began working market about 4 years ago and have helped in various showrooms every season, and the 2017 fall market was this past weekend.
While at Market, I am an assistant sales rep, which means that if you’re a buyer and would you like to purchase any of the new furniture for the upcoming season, you have to talk to someone like me. The sales rep that I work directly for is from Puerto Rico and reps for Central America and the surrounding islands, so that’s where our primary client base is.
The really cool thing about Market is truly how international it is. There are people from all over the world, travelling to High Point for just a few days to see the newest furniture before it’s available to the public. I always work in two Italian showrooms and both of these companies make and sell beautiful, fresh Italian-designed furniture, manufactured in a small town in Italy. It is modern and contemporary and oftentimes features pops of bright and interesting color.
Since our clients are primarily from Spanish-speaking countries, I always learn about 8 new Spanish words every time I go. I figure by my hundredth Market I should be able to hold a pretty decent conversation. Besides the free Spanish lessons, my favorite thing about Market is that there is food everywhere. Especially chocolate. Plus, Market is so massive and requires so much walking around that you don’t even have to feel bad about the surplus of chocolate that has recently come into your life.
The main showroom I work in is one of the fewer showrooms that design and showcase a kitchen line including custom cabinetry, lighting, sinks, etc. We have a caterer in the kitchen at all times, spoiling all the staff and our clients with cappuccinos, snacks, and a lunch that is guaranteed delicious.
It’s awesome to be able to walk around and see the new trends developing in furniture and interior design. My all-time favorite showroom is Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Home.
I love Market because it’s a place of creativity, innovation, and tasty snacks, and I’m so glad I am able to take part in it!
Have you ever been to the furniture market? Maybe I’ll see you there in the spring!!
‘Til next time,
Brittany