Interior Designer’s Guide to High Point Market

Sep 30

Updated April 2023

Thinking about heading to High Point Market for the first time, or heading back this year and wanting to really make the most of the experience (and the investment)?

We polled our designers and are sharing some of their best tips and advice to help you strategically navigate High Point Market, with less stress and a solid plan.

If you’re really new to this, here’s what High Point is, from The High Point Market Authority website:

“High Point Market is known as the place where the latest home furnishings styles, trends, and products are introduced. It is where the latest ideas on how home furnishings are designed, created, made, sold, and shipped are introduced, discussed, and developed. It is the place where home furnishings professionals meet and make meaningful connections with the individuals who become the most important contributors to their career success.”

And, if you haven’t yet stepped into selling to-the-trade, wholesale furnishings to your clients, be sure to checkout our course, Beyond Retail. Learn the ins and outs of sourcing, pricing, and selling wholesale products to clients. Through seven bite sized on-demand modules, I’ll walk you through how to open up accounts, place orders, work with receivers, manage your vendor list, price your products, and increase your profitability on every project.

Preparing For High Point Market

First up, determine if you’re at a point in your business where you’re ready to go. Does it make sense for you to a) take time off work and b) invest the money and the time to attend?

One of our designers shared that it didn’t make sense for her to go in the first two years of her business. She was still setting up accounts, didn’t know who her key vendors were, and was busy building the foundation of her business. She couldn’t justify the price in year one or two. But starting in year three, she began going as often as her project schedule allowed.

Once you’ve established that it makes sense to go: BOOK EVERYTHING ASAP. Hotels, rental houses, and cars book up early, so decide where you want to stay and how you want to get around.

Think through if you want to bring someone from your team (which is always helpful!).

Several designers shared that they prefer to stay a bit further out and get a rental car (even though it means more time commuting ~ about 40 minutes each way). The reasoning for this is twofold:

Having a place a bit further out means you have a little more quiet and privacy for your morning coffee or going out for a relaxed dinner, if you prefer that.
Having your own car means you don’t have to wait for the shuttles to pick you up, which could take an hour or more. Not ideal when you’ve got places to go and people to see.

Yes, these options cost more time and money, but with how intense market is (even for market veterans) it can be nice to have a break from it all.

Rule of thumb for planning your trip: Two nights is the minimum. Three nights is ideal. One night is not enough. In fact, you should know that one trip will not be enough to see and do everything you want.

Planning for a Strategic High Point Experience

Once your flights, hotel, and car are sorted out, now it’s time to PLAN.

Register online and get your passes beforehand.
When booking your hotel, consider the shuttle times to maximize your morning prep.
Head to the High Point website to research what vendors will be there, their pricing, offerings, etc. Create a spreadsheet or a list of all the vendors you want to see and where they are located.
Reach out to your vendors and/or buying house in advance and let them know you’re planning to attend and set up any necessary appointments.
- Be sure to make your appointments so they are in the same areas (yes, you could take a bus between buildings but it makes more sense to keep them close).
- Bonus if you can add any special events you want to attend at those vendors and coordinate your visits.
- Extra bonus if you schedule a meetup with your vendor rep at the same time!
Plan to visit your current vendors and some new ones, and leave time to “wander” so you can discover vendors, fabricators, antique dealers, and companies that are new to you. We heard a 70% existing/30% new split is ideal. Seeing your existing vendors is key especially if there isn’t a showroom or a design center in your area. You want to get there to see, touch, and feel the new products in person.
Prepare a list of anything you may need for your current client projects so you can source while you’re there and kill two birds with one stone.
Download the app on your phone so you know where key destinations are located.
Print special market-only business cards (with only your logo, email, website, and resale license number).
RSVP for the parties – the food is always amazing and the connections and drinks are a plus!

The key here is to plan ahead to identify where you’ll go and who you’ll see, and then schedule your appointments in the same area, rather than going all over the place each day.

What to Pack for High Point Market

You’re going to be walking a TON. Think Disney x 10. Here’s what our designers recommend to pack, aside from the basics:

Comfortable bag that you can carry all-day
Sweater/light jacket you can wear indoors (it can be cold in the buildings)
Small umbrella
Comfortable shoes. Bring two pairs in your luggage so you can alternate wearing them. Some favorites:
- Golden Goose
- Vionics
- On Clouds
- Natives
- Allbirds
- *Even when you’re eating, sometimes it’s standing room only!
Money to buy stuff (but don’t spend it all in the first place you go!)
Phone charger + portable phone charger
Notebook and pens/pencils
Business cards + a pouch for business cards
Hand sanitizer
A copy of your resale license

What to Expect When You’re at High Point

Many designers said they liked getting there early to beat the crowd and get a full day in.

Here’s what to bring with you each day:

Refillable water bottle (but showrooms do hand out waters)
Sweater or rain jacket in case you get cold inside
Small umbrella
A comfortable bag with the following items inside:
- Phone charger AND portable charger
- Floss
- Snacks
- Bandaids or moleskin (don’t let a blister ruin your day!)
- Notebook + pens/pencils
- Business cards
- A pouch for business cards you collect
Your pass (set a reminder every night to bring your pass!)

While in the showrooms:

Take pictures of tags with any information on specific pieces and fabrics that are of interest.
Take notes in your notebook to remember what you liked at each vendor (Example: If you loved MadeGoods mirrors and nightstands, make a note of the product type you loved from each vendor).
Don’t forget to note who you saw, what you saw, what you liked, places to not go again, places to go again, etc. You will not remember everything as the days begin to blend into one another.
Collect business cards of key contacts you meet.

At the end of each day:

Organize the pictures you took so you can remember which picture was taken at which showroom.
Pack your pass in your bag for the next day so you don’t forget it.
Put any orders you placed with reps into your product management software right away so you don’t forget.

Tips from Interior Designers for Navigating High Point Market

“Drink tons of water. You’ll be so thirsty from all the walking!”

“Anything that can be emailed, have it emailed! Avoid taking things from showrooms unless it's small or important (like a price list or info on a new collection). Unless you have a bag on wheels and can drive it home. Otherwise, you’ll end up carrying around tons of catalogs, books, and swag with no way to travel back home with it all.”

“Go to a few networking events to sit back, relax, and have some fun in the midst of all the ‘do-do-do see-see-see’.”

“Have an organizational system for your photos when you’re there so you remember what showroom your pictures are from. Take pictures of the front of each showroom before you enter so you know where the subsequent pictures on your phone are from. Email pictures to yourself if any of the items you find are for clients.”

“For taller buildings in HP, start on the top floor and work your way down by floor.”

“Find the balance of planning ahead to avoid being overwhelmed and have at least one day to roam around and explore new things. Always wear comfortable shoes and pack a rain jacket!”

“Clean up your phone to make sure it is functioning optimally and has plenty of phone/cloud storage - bring extra phone batteries and charging cables with you during the day. Phones die a lot there.

Take pictures of the showroom you are entering before you go into the showroom. (It’s a whirlwind your first time, you’ll take 1,000 photos and need to recall “who made that lamp?”).

Also, turn your phone on low battery mode.

For people who have gone several times: Textures + Schwung- come with your checkbook, come early and buy the best off the floor.

Also, find the best parties and food. (Rowe, Universal, Gabby, Eloquence)”

“The app!! “Favorite” all the places you want to hit and it lists them by the building/floor. Would be lost without this feature.”

“Take pictures of items and make notes for your clients. For example, is it a comfy sofa? Too soft or too firm?”

“Get the app, mark your showrooms, and shop by vicinity. Also, head there early. It takes longer than you think to park, shuttle, and walk to the first showroom.”

“Plan to be in the big showrooms mid-day. They all have free lunches so you don’t have to spend time trying to find lunch. And, skip Interhall and the similar booth-like buildings unless you’re looking for gift/accessory items.”

“Universal has the best bathrooms and coffee bar, and the recharging station is a welcome respite.; Norwalk when you really need to rest and sit in super comfy upholstery. They’re also known to have amazing food.”

What to do Once You’re Back From High Point Market

So you invested the time and money and took off work to attend High Point. But how do you capitalize on that experience after you return home?

If you’ve made a connection with a rep or met someone interesting, follow up with them via email. Reps will usually reach out before you even make it home.
Make any additional notes in the notebook you wrote in each day and file it away for future reference.
Update your vendor list with any new vendors, contact info, personal notes, categories, etc.
Share about it on social media-BUT remember to make it about your clients and how this is something you invest in to make sure you are providing the highest quality services and have the best relationships (or however you want to spin it!).

Interior Designers Share Top Mistakes to Avoid at High Point Market

“Not going to market!”

“Taking pictures but not tracking where they are from!”

“Skip the heels, stay hydrated, and don't grab too many product catalogs (even thin brochures will start to weigh you down.)”

“Wearing the wrong shoes. You need to walk in them for DAYS and still feel good.”

“Winging it. Going with someone who is experienced is the best way to get started going to market.”

“Sometimes walking with a rep takes 3xs longer…(it is educational, but I can get myself through a showroom in 1/2 the time). Lots of places prefer you meet your sales rep and make an appointment before, but it’s not necessary and they can catch up with you if you go on a self-guided tour.”

“The one thing I wish I’d spent more time doing is signing up for talks. I’m always trying to learn. Being my 3rd time at market this year, I’m making that more of a focus now!”

Thank you to the following designers who contributed tips, insights, and experiences:

Laurie Engelbreit, KovichCo Interiors

Rebekah Baltic, Stelly & Oscar Design

Nancy, Nancy Lane Interiors (Nancy’s Introvert's Guide to High Point is right up my alley)

Caroline Kopp, Caroline Kopp Interior Design

Molly McGinness, MMID Inc.

Katherine, Starr Sanford Design

Stephanie Calderon, Stephanie Calderon Interiors

Casey FitzGerald, Kathleen Casey Design

Ashley Cortese, Ashley Cortese Designs

Julianne Kelly, Carrier Design Co

Boo Randle, Boo Randle Interiors