ABSTRACT
The High Point Furniture Market is the world’s largest B2B furniture trade show. Over 2,600 manufacturers, featuring tens of thousands of new furniture pieces, attract 30,000 retail buyers, designers and interior decorators from 110 countries semi-annually to North Carolina. The fall and spring markets have tremendous economic, social, cultural and political impacts on the entire surrounding Piedmont Triad that includes Greensboro and Winston-Salem. The chamber of commerce estimates the yearly economic impact is $2.8 billion. With the furniture industry buying up 180 buildings with over 12 million square feet for showrooms that are open only four weeks a year, there has also been a very negative social and cultural impact on a downtown area that for 48 weeks of the year is best described as a ghost town. The city of High Point now faces the dilemma of not wanting to upset or lose the market yet also wanting to vibrantly redevelop its downtown for local residents. The story of the High Point Furniture Market is best told from many points of view - the Market Authority that plans, promotes and produces the trade show; the manufacturers; the visitors; and the local government, business, and residential community.
